Sansa the Sorceress
by HermioneeBlack
Summary: Sansa Stark from modern times ends up in past in her ancestors body. With knowledge of the history and penchant for seeing it all, can she make life any better for family? how much could a change in single spoke of wheel will affect wheel of time?
1. Chapter 1

oh well, If any one wants to be a co-author, do let me know for this story. it has to get out of my head, so it's going to get out.

I don't promise any kind of continuous updates on this. My plan is to write a super stark series - you fanfic officianados know that that means.

This one belongs to sansa stark. As I am of the opinion sansa needs to be bashed on the head a thousand times and then electrocuted to ever make a right decision, it's going to be that kind of concept.

Since I am too lazy to build up, Sansa Stark's a plastic surgeon, fairly old and from modern world.

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 **Owner steals heirloom from Stark museum**

WinterTown, december 24th: Yesterday, at approximately 9'O clock Arya Stark, better known as the wild vixen for her party girl tendencies and amateur boxing victories stole a precious heirloom from stark museum. It is assumed the said heirloom is a obsidian wolf pendant on a leather cord. Why would wild vixen steal this particular pedant? what makes it so special? The answer is a heart wrenching story of tragedy and familial love.

This particular pendant belongs to a stark ancestor known as princess Sansa stark, a few thousands or so years old. This particular princess Sansa, unlike our own, is rather slow witted. It is said she lost her pet wolf and her father to her own folly. She is the stark remaining in kingslanding during Lannister reign, later rescued by acting lord of vale, who played a key part in her father's demise. Princess Sansa, not knowing her rescuer's part in her father's demise, strove very hard to reward the lord of vale in any manner possible.

Later, when Prince Jon Targaryen visited vale asking for help during long winter, sorceress Melisandre enlightened her to the true history and intent of her savior. Princess, unable to bear the emotional turmoil, turned self destructive. she gave every last thing she can scrounge from castle to her brother. she locked her self in the castle with lord of vale and his minions. she burned the castle with her self and all men responsible for her father's murder inside. All that remained in the burnt castle is this particular pendant with it's leather cord intact. It is said that this piece is a magical artifact commissioned by princess Sansa to sorceress Melisandre, so that one day, some one capable of saving her family will be given her life. Her life for her family's savior, it is said.

Now, why would wild vixen need this particular pendant? Some of you might remember the beloved Sansa Stark, elder sister of Arya, a most renowned plastic surgeon and philanthropist, has been involved in a traffic accident last year. She went through a major surgery, which we were informed is successful. What we were not informed of is that Sansa Stark is yet to awaken. She lies in a coma, which doctors call a medical mystery, as all her vitals indicate she should have awaken now. Now we can only assume that Arya stark loved her sister dearly despite all their public differences . Especially so, if she is brave enough to steal from her father's museum, evade an two dozen or so armed guards to just take a mysterious magical artifact to her sister, in hopes it might wake from her eternal slumber.

One of our reporters inform us that Arya stark indeed went to visit her sister in hospital, begging gods with tears in eyes to return her elder sister to life, for there's no one in the world more deserving of life than her own elder sister. Many a time, we assume worst of our own family members and shun them. It is true in case of stark sisters, who have been as different as oil and water. Yet, they are family. Dear friends, please take to day to remember that even having family around is a blessing. For just to day and tomorrow, shower your dear ones with love. Let's pray for the stark sisters, so they may celebrate this Christmas together. Merry Christmas to you all, dear friends.

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Sansa Stark opened her eyes and looked around. There is some thing very different about this room and her bed. She can not place what it is though. If Arya did any thing to her she is going to sell all of her weapons in an auction. As she opened her eyes and looked at her hands though, Sansa realized what is wrong. They are small. Very small. she hasn't had that small hands since she is ten. she did the only thing she could do in this situation. She screamed.

Robb burst in to her room few moments later with a knife in his hands.

"What? Who? " he looked around wildly. When he noticed there's no one around, and his sister is still screaming looking at her hands, he huffed in annoyance and sheathed his sword.

"Stop screaming, Sansa" he said even as he shook her shoulders.

"Did you have a night mare? " he asked with as much gentle tone as he could muster.

"My hands!" is the only thing Sansa can say in response. Yet, as she looked at his clothing, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. What the hell is Robb wearing?

"Are we having a costume party?" she asked.

"What's a costume party?" Robb asked back.

Warning bells went off in Sansa's head. Why in the world does he not know what a costume party is? why are her hands so small? Sansa could only conclude this is all a dream. She had a lot of dreams like this before when she was obsessed with her ancestor's history. She pinched her self hard, yelped at the unexpected pain.

"Sansa, Are you alright?" Robb asked concernedly.

No she is not. She is in one of her weird dreams where her body seems to respond to imagined stimulus. She is a doctor, While every thing about this situation can not be explained away, she could only conclude that she's in some kind of coma and every thing she imagines happened to her body will happen to her real body as well. Sansa sighed. She will have to play this by ear.

"I am fine, Robb." She answered.

she got up, dressed her self, cursed to seven hells and more when she noticed the chamber pot, but on the whole, she got out of her room just fine.

Every thing went well for a while. She went to her needle work lessons with septa Mordane, greeted her friend Jeane poole. The first seeds of doubt started when she did not realize who septa Mordane and Beth Cassel are. After all, history saw no need to mention their names. Their names most definitely new, they are not anagrams of any thing. This is not good, Sansa concluded. Though she is a surgeon through and through, she knew her psych basics. Every thing, must have an origin. Even if I am locked in my own body and my imagination ran wild, she can not have new knowledge. Especially one as structured as the ones septa Mordane is trying to teach.

She went through the day analyzing each and every thing she happened to meet en-route. At the end of the day, from all she gathered, only conclusion she could draw is she is in one of her ancestors body in the past. Not just any ancestor, Silly Sansa to be exact. It is not a publicized fact, but Sansa Stark's journals are not burnt on castle Eyerie when she burned it. They were given to Sandor Cleagane, one of the faith's septons were brought back to winterfell. Sansa accidentally stumbled on these journals. She was fascinated by them, read them cover to cover.

In fact, she could easily say her life would have gone totally different way had she not read those journals. it is her lament on her willful blindness and it's consequences that touched sansa deeply. She realized next day as silly as princess sansa is, she is wise in her words. She noticed that her friends teasing Arya did actually hurt Arya, though arya did a brilliant job of hiding it. It had been an eye opener. She promptly told her bf's any teasing rights belonged to her self alone as the elder sister and they had no right to speak to arya the way they do. Arya scoffed at Sansa, yet, the next day she awoke to blue roses in her vase.

If there is one thing Sansa the surgeon knew, it is that Silly Sansa's life's screwed from the beginning. At this point in history, there was not much she could have done that saved her from the path her life took, even more so, if she had been any thing but ignorant, her life would have been hell. Yet here she is, so she is going to make best of it. So, she spent next weeks documenting. She wrote down her own past, any and all history she remembered and all the knowledge she remembered. Each and every one of her family is concerned, but she assured them she is fine. in fact, it is because of their meddling writing every thing took such a long time.

At the end of the day, she realized the first thing she needs to make is a fountain pen. As good as she is at chemistry, her knowledge of any thing non-medical is very vague. she could hopefully make it with just wood. So, she went to her father, who called the best wood worker from whiteharbor to the town, because sansa said the one at wintertown is incapable and unwilling. The Crofter was delighted to make the pen, but after she has seen the first pen, she realized it's going to be a long while. she simply talked her father in to hiring the man and placed him under her domain.

She tried to get Jon to help her, and he did help her to an extent, but Arya hated it when Jon interacted too closely with sansa. She had to tone it down after both Jon and Arya freaked out when she kissed him on the cheek. Jon valiantly borne all of Lady Stark's displeasure when she noticed Sansa revolving around him. Sansa knew better than defy her mother continuously, because all the punishment fell on Jon's plate.

She lamented the fact even with all her knowledge of history, Sansa the ancestor's journals, she does not have the complete knowledge of the place she is at. Most of her suggestions towards improving the future, i.e. rehabilitate the wildlings - every one laughed in her face. Sansa is absolutely sure any more spitting of history lessons on her part, people will think her crazy. Already, the whispers are beginning. Her first stroke of ingenuity came during one of the fights between Theon and Jon.

Father called Jon his blood, not his son. That is when Sansa realized that she could use this to her advantage.

She broached the subject with her mother when she is brushing her hair and they were alone with out a single maid near by. Unlike people of this time, Sansa knew to be beware of servants and such.

"Isn't it weird father always refers to Jon as my blood, but never his son, Mother?" she asked.

"I would like you to stay away from Jon Snow, Sansa. He is a bastard, too low of birth to keep around you." Her mother advised.

"Is he really? People say his mother's Lady Ashara Dayne. How is he low of birth if his mother's a Lady and father is a lord?" Sansa asked.

Catelyn Stark frowned.

"All this interest in your half brother is unbecoming Sansa." Lady catelyn looked at her down her nose. she knew the look. Teachers and parents every where gave that look to myriad of sweet children so they may reaize their faults and stop on their own. Sansa's too old for it to work effectively.

"Father last met Lady dayne at harenhall. By that note, Jon should be older than Robb, but he is not." Sansa pressed on.

"He doesn't have dornish skin too." she added childishly after realizing she sounded way too serious.

Lady stark's frown deepened.

The next day, Sansa wondered on Lyanna stark.

"I wonder how aunt Lyanna died, mother! I know prince Rhegar kidnapped her, but she's a high born lady. He would have treated her nice, wouldn't he? Did you know prince Rhaegar, Mother?" she extended her question.

Lady Catelyn told all she can about prince Rhaegar to Sansa, though she warned her subtly to not be too interested in the topic.

Sansa directed the flow next day.

"Oh Mother! They say prince Rhaegar raped Aunt Lyanna. But why did she die from it mother? women of ill repute do it every day, they don't die. Prince Rhaegar wasn't even with her when she died. How do you think she died mother?"

"How do you know all this Sansa? Who told you?" Lady Catelyn asked her sharply.

"No one told me! I heard Theon. He called her a dragon whore. he said if he was the one doing it, there would have been a passel of pykes from her." Sansa said. Theon did not say that stuff, but she did not mind ruining Theon's rapport with Robb.

if Lady Catelyn did not figure this out by now, Sansa is going to conclude Stupid Sansa's stupidity is genetic and all from mothers side.

The next day, her mother moved Jon to the room besides Robb, in to the family space. Theon's face burned with some thing at that, Sansa noticed he was distracted very easily from any thing provided with a pair of tits.

The real surprise of the day is her fountain pen is finally finally ready. Sansa could have kissed crofter. She promptly packed it and presented it to Jon as name-day present.

when she shew him how it works, the smile she got could have lighted up whole winter fell.


	2. Chapter 2

One would think after creating a pen, the next thing on Lady Sansa's mind is some thing amazing. Perhaps, like a steam engine, light bulb or cure to cancer, some thing even grander and magnificent, like world peace.

Well, you are all wrong. The next thing Sansa Stark the surgeon wanted and strove for very diligently is ice cream. That's right people, a girl needs her ice cream.

When one is stuck in a room, writing down all the knowledge they can cram on badly made paper with badly made pen, one dearly needs ice cream. With lots and lots of chocolate fudge in it.

Unfortunately, chocolate is not yet discovered. On direr note, even coffee is not discovered. The only plus side to this entire endeavor is there are strawberries around.

Sansa made a list of all the items she would need, and where she is going to send some one to achieve that. As she made her notes, she realized her general knowledge is very very weak.

She had no idea where half the stuff came from. She bought her produce from super market, she never cared much for all that country of origin nonsense. Gods, she is regretting it now. In her defense, no one could have thought she will time travel to thousands of years past in her mind.

The cook stared at her like she has gone mad when she told him how to make ice cream. When she hounded him more, he almost bodily threw her out. Unable to figure out any other way, Sansa pulled rank on him. And what a rank it is.

She thanked the gods that she is high born in this time and age. Otherwise, she could have been the best of citadel, she still wouldn't be able to do any thing.

As such, she is a high born, and her recipe turned out to be hella hella good. After that, the chef smiled at her, From then on, when ever she came to him with a crazy recipe, he made it with out any questions.

Her mother's face when she served chicken pot pie had been precious. Even Arya grumbled that there is some use to Sansa's lady pursuits. After all, her Arya's favorite is chicken pot pie. With a shot of whiskey, but she will get to there soon enough.

Between her wanderings, Sansa wandered to the famed glass gardens. In her time, the glass gardens are nothing but set of ruined three foot tall walls. She is amazed to see them in their glory. She vowed to do her best to steer history in a different direction.

As she wandered through the gardens, she came to a strange, strange realization. There are no Tomatoes. She searched high and low, far and wide, but damn, there are no bloody tomatoes any where. Sansa's shoulders drooped.

It's not that she is a fan of pizza. Hell, she didn't even like spaghetti and meat balls. She is a thorough toast and butter girl. Still, it's nice once in a while to have a pizza. It's nice once in a while to spaghetti and meat balls. Plus, she bloody loved her bloody Mary.

If she is missing tomatoes, what else is she missing? She can't expect to have plastic or rubber any time soon. She already gave instructions to Mikken to stainless steel, but she has a feeling that he is going to ignore them any way.

After all, who in their right minds will listen to the words of a eight year old? She needed allies, and fast. She made her tentative peace with Arya. It helped that she is a thirty year old, while arya is a snotty little six year old. Even so, they almost came to blows.

It seems like her sister is born with the ability to push Sansa's buttons. Unlike her stupid Sansa the ancestor, she was able to see the hurt in Arya's eyes when her friends ridiculed her. When she gave her friends a piece of her mind, Arya looked at her so gratefully, it shocked Sansa for a moment.

Her Arya is so used to the fact that her big sister protects her no matter what, she has gotten in to some real crazy shit. Such as, setting fire to her theatre curtains. Stealing from her father's stash. Flying a helicopter in to the storm.

All that reminiscing is remind her of all the things she is missing. She needed a solid back up to accomplish any of the stuff she is thinking about. As much as she hated to prey on down trodden, she is going to have to make use of prince Jon. Or Bastard, as he is known here.

Following her trip to the glass gardens, she asked maester Luwin about the vegetation in westeros, If any one has written a book about it. He was surprised at the question. Actually, it went like this.

"Good morning, Maester Luwin."

"Good morning, Lady Sansa. Here, I have a new book of songs for you."

"Hmm... Thank you maester. How ever, I am here for a different reason."

Shocked silence. Some more shocked silence.

A throat clearing from Sansa.

"You are ?! May I inquire what business you are here upon, My lady?"

"I am looking for any book on vegetation of westeros, maester. Has any one written a book on plants?" sansa asked sweetly. Or she thought of as sweetly.

"Plants? May I ask why the sudden interest, my lady?" maester luwin inquired.

" Winter is coming, maester. We have to be prepared." Sansa answered somberly.

Maester luwin chuckled in answer, but pointed to the stack of books that listed any thing and every thing in the world.

Sansa did not find what she wanted, but she found some other things though. She made a list of all the vegetables or crops that are not present in north or westeros, but available in other parts of the world.

With her Job in library done, Sansa set upon her next task. Convincing Jon to become her lackey.

She picked up the bribe. Jon liked honey. As long as she got him stale bread with honey, he will be happy. Sansa is not looking to make him smile though.. she is going to seduce him. As such, she went to collect her next recipe from chef, who smiled brightly at her. A dozen croissants waited for her on the table. Sansa smiled at the chef. He has become very amenable to any of her random suggestions after the first two recipes.

She asked for a fresh honey, and fig jam, a recent addition – after she has added that to list of items to be bought from white harbor. She is going to get seeds of that dark fig tree that grows even in winter cold, and do her very best to have an orchard planted around winterfell.

She went to Jon's room, plopped down on his bed. Even in this strange strange past, Jon's smell is exactly the same. A bit of wood smoke, cedar and spice. Sansa wondered if even her Jon had a bit of dragon lord blood.

Jon almost shrieked upon seeing her on the bed. Sansa wondered what made him that scared all of a sudden. 

"Sansa! What the hell are you doing here?" he exclaimed with surprise etched on his face.

Sansa wondered why every one is shockingly surprised to see her to day. She is a social creature. She bet even ancestor Sansa is a social creature.

"I brought you my latest recipe. It's croissants with honey. I thought I will share with you." she pointed at the table.

Jon's face softened at the sight of food. He pulled the chair,placed the tray on bed, so they can talk face to face. He moaned at the taste of the pastry with honey. He blushed when he realized what he has done. Sansa distantly wondered whether he will freak out if she kissed him. She took a piece or two, but with out moaning.

"Jon, Have you given thought to your future?" she asked.

Jon smiled at her indulgently. Sansa almost snarled at the patronizing look, but remembered just in time she is still a child here.

"Why, Aren't you a precocious little lady?" Jon said patting her head.

Sansa batted his hand away.

"Just tell me. Please." she added.

"Well, I thought may be I can join night's watch. Like uncle Benjen." Jon said.

"Are you sure? They say night's watch is only a shadow of what it used to be. There are better things you can do with your skills." Sansa said enticingly. Or what she thought enticingly.

Jon only laughed in response. Then Sansa realized how it must have looked. A little eight year old, trying to sound all matured and lady like.

"very well, My lady, what will you have of me?" Jon asked with all fake seriousness he could muster.

"I want you to be my sworn shield." Sansa said with out preamble.

Jon's face darkened slowly.

"Sansa, only a knight can be a sworn shield. I am not a night, given as I am a bastard, no one will take me as a squire." He answered gently, as if convincing Sansa at the futility of the endeavor.

Sansa shook her head.

"I don't need you to be a knight. I want you to be my sworn sword, go on quests for me, wear my favor, protect me from cruelties of the world. You don't need to be a knight for that. You only need to be good with sword.." she paused there, as if to consider him.

"you are good with sword, aren't you?" she asked doubtfully. She hasn't watched him in practice. She is going by hearsay and distant history that she has read, so she doesn't know for real.

"I am not bad, if I say so my self." Jon said.

Sansa smiled at him.

"So what do you say?" she asked.

Jon waited as if considering her offer seriously. She can tell a part of him still thought this a child's play.

"Very well, if you can convince your parents, then yes. I will be your sworn sword." Jon answered.

Sansa pumped her fist in the air, smooched Jon on the lips. She smiled brilliantly at him, thanking him profusely. If Jon is shocked that she kissed him, he did not show it. It's visible he only thought of it as sisterly affection.

The next month, when it is Sansa's nameday, as they said here, she asked for a sworn sword as the gift. she insisted to have Jon as her sworn sword, Lord Stark eventually relented. Arya did not speak to her for a week for stealing Jon from the end, Sansa decided to ask her father for another sworn sword. Arya, this time, to appease her little sister.

She begged her father and mother, baiting them, and guilt tripping them, at the end of the day, she got Arya as her sworn sword upon the condition that Sansa will make sure Arya learns lady arts. Jon and Arya both are ecstatic with news. Jon has gotten to teach his dear little sister how to use sword, while Sansa only got the stinky deal of making Arya listen.

As surprising as it might seem to people, Sansa succeeded to an extent in taming Arya. In other words, She found the right kind of bribes. Sansa prayed to gods very hard that she will never run out of bribes, aka, ice cream and pot pie. For save those two, Arya has not the slightest bit of girly taste in any thing what so ever.

Jon's first task – did you guess it right? To find Tomatoes.


	3. Chapter 3

How exactly does one go on a quest to find tomatoes and return with dragon eggs? Sansa wondered.

For, that is exactly what Jon did. He also brought a boat load of seeds and plants of any and all red fruit, including pomegranate, but no tomatoes. He brought dragon eggs instead. Not that he knew that they are dragon eggs, because he seems to think they are seeds of some mysterious tree.

The quest, did not result in tomatoes. What it did result in though, is a series of misadventures with bees, lizard lions, three more types of honey that Jon swore by, ten poisonous fruit, two orchids, one random tree which bore edible but tasteless fruit, one jack-fruit tree, a strange aloevera looking plant that has very very good smell to it's strange flowers, some weird colored mushrooms, pomegranates, raspberries and tomatillo.

In other words, every other bull shit plant he got his hands on. Sansa had half a mind to make him stand in corner, yet, she held her temper because for all their failure, they did bring back some useful stuff. She had not even known some of this stuff is actually indigenous. How ever, when she saw Jon's smile as he described his adventures and misadventures at lunch table, she has forgiven him for failing in his mission.

She had not been idle during this time. She asked her father for a contingent of servants to be allocated to her and her experiments. When he balked, she gave him a lecture of the century.

"Father, it is simply not enough to rule north. What good is killing few wildlings when we could rehabilitate them and use them to till our fields? Winter is coming and it's going to be far longer than the summer has ever been. What good is succeeding in ruling now only to fail at surviving later? We need to develop more lands, we need to have more people, thus when winter comes, we will survive. Look at our ancestors, Every one remembers Bran the builder till to day, but how many other kings do they remember? We are remembered by what we leave behind and I, for one, want to be remembered as the stark that was wise enough to plan for winter." She finished her tirade.

Ned stark looked ready to burst with both pride and laughter at end of the day. In the end, he laughed heartily, told her that she is absolutely right. Thus, she had ten servants assigned to her to do her crazy jobs, learn art of healing, or what ever she needs. He has also written to Jon Arryn to send which ever skilled workers looking to move away from kings landing to winter-fell.

Sansa, abusing the authority her father gave her, asked for all sorts of things. How can she resist that carte-blanche when it's given to her? She asked for unicorns to be brought to mainland, and a ship left white harbor with enough weapons for a small army and food enough to last two years, to skagos to entice them in to catching unicorns and any milk or meat yielding animals and sending them to winter-fell.

That was an unexpected success. Either because of the amount of food they sent, or the promise of more aid upon success, the skagosi did succeed in catching the unicorns. She could not believe it has been possible at all. The creatures are truly fearsome, almost two feet taller than the horses they have, with a horn almost as strong as a rhinos.

Even Ned stark was brimming with curiosity upon hearing that they are indeed bringing unicorns to winter-fell. In the end, her father had been so ashamed that he has remained for so long with out any knowledge of his banner-men or because he is curious him self, he extended the stay for skagosi entourage and invited more of them to come and stay at winter-fell for some time.

Sansa, meanwhile was ecstatic when her eyes laid upon the mountain goats they brought. She giggled uncontrollably, singing to her self cashmere, cashmere, cashmere, She scared half the people of winter-fell. Either way, she now had two extant species at winter-fell, the mountain goat that yielded the cashmere fibers. Say what you will about Sansa's general knowledge, she knew her fabrics like no other. She may have forgotten where tomatoes or avocado's came from, she knew each and every one of her fabrics and where they are made.

On the plus side, the bison, while very hard to tame, made far sturdy creatures to till the soil. With their strength, and Mikken's new steel, they can start tilling some of the new lands. Also, the bison's milk is so much more creamier than what winter-fell's cattle produced, the cheese makers are ecstatic with the result. Looking at all these, Ned felt even more bad for not reaching out to Skagosi earlier. Eventually, the Skagosi left with a trade deal for the mountain goat's wool for timber and grain from winter-fell.

All would have been well, had Jon and Robb not decided to tame the unicorns. Deciding that they can tame the beast as they can a horse, one fine day, they deliberately reduced the milk of poppy that they were giving to the beasts. All was well and fine till servants left. Robb and Jon entered the stables secretly with brushes, were brushing the beasts as they do horses.

If only unicorns worked as horses. Alas, they are entirely different beings, were made too differently. At exactly one hour mark, both unicorns awoke with no indication of their coming awake. Not even a twitch. One second, they were asleep, Robb and Jon were marveling at the soft-ness of unicorn's coat, the next second, they were roughly on the floor looking at their hind sides.

As the unicorns neighed, Robb and Jon both scrambled to corners, holding each other's hands almost instinctively, their eyes wide with fear. They are after all, boys, their heads did not even become level with the unicorns body began. Their lives are forfeit if the creatures so much as changed direction, tried push on their hind legs,boy's bodies will break under impact.

Fortunately for the boys, an unicorn is an entirely different creature from a horse. With out so much as a by your leave, both creatures bashed in to stable doors. The doors cracked as they are made from parchment instead of solid wood. The unicorns took off running, scaring the servants who were running errands, upsetting the utensils, scaring the kids who were here and there.

Sansa was leisurely taking a stroll in the glass gardens, observing the newly acquired plants. The taste less fruits when dried, proved to be some what similar to potatoes.

'Well, he at least brought some useful stuff' - Sansa thought to her self looking at the tree.

'and some really pretty flowers' she added as she looked at the pretty creeper blooming with red flowers. They could be used as antiseptic and source of iron when made in to tea. It made the plant all the more dear to her.

First thing she noticed is a tremor. A very slight tremor, in the leaves. She heard a sound that sounded very similar to a combat airplane. The glass door at the entrance to the green house broke with a reverberating clang.

Then, Sansa saw them. The unicorns looked big and docile when she first saw them. If Sansa added a little imagination to how they looked, she can almost imagine them like they came out in little girl cartoons.

Now, running towards her like wind, the creatures looked like they came straight from seventh hell. For a moment, it is as if time stood still. All Sansa could see is the pointy tip of the unicorn's horn, their blood shot eyes promising all the pain the world to her.

Her legs froze. Her mind went blank. She was still like that with legs frozen in place, her face frozen in fear. I can not die like this, was Sansa's last thought. I have so many things to do, so many people to save, I can not go like this, she thought to her self.

Then it ended as suddenly as it started. The unicorns stopped in front of her to smell at the strange aloe plant. They all but took a whiff of the flower, fell down in front of with a thud. The whip lash of the wind when they stopped threw Sansa back.

She fell down, still looking at two creatures very much looking dead in front of her. Her legs, wouldn't move how ever strongly she commanded them to move.

The servants came running in the wake of the beasts. They found sansa on the floor on her back, scrambling away from creatures with her elbows. Her dress hands are torn, her elbows started bleeding, but sansa did not stop. She was still moving back when her father rushed to pick her up in his hands. They promptly bound both creatures, threw them in a bear pit instead of stables.

Once Sansa is safe and sound in maester's tower, the little miscreants were called to answer before their father.

Jon would have died had it been up to Lady Catelyn to punish them. She even would have beheaded him the same way they did night's watch deserters.

Robb broke before Jon could so much as squeak.

"Please father, it's my fault. I convinced Jon to sneak with me. We only wanted to tame the unicorns. I will take the full responsibility of my actions." Robb said looking as if he made the entire world go up in flames.

"I am sorry father. I should have stopped him. It is my duty as Sansa's sworn sword to protect her. I failed her." Jon said looking ashamed.

Lord Stark did not say any thing. While his face did not betray any feeling, he was reeling in his anger so he will not scare the kids.

After all, Sansa could very well have died to day, if not for sheer dumb luck.

His kids got in to all sorts of accidents, they scared wits out of their parents with the feats they attempt at times, but they never came as near to death as to day.

"Do you realize the consequences of your actions?" Ned stark asked his eldest children in a cold tone. It is commendable that the boys did not burst in to tears at that tone. Better men than them did at so at times.

"Your sister could have died. You heard the skagosi as well as any other in the castle. You have been warned not to underestimate them. Yet, you both went in to the stables, put your own lives at risk, put many of the others lives at risk, All for what? A moment of glory?" He continued.

He let the silent stretch in between them. Now the tears ran freely down both Robb and Jon's cheeks. If the situation wasn't as serious, Ned would have sighed, put them up to cleaning stables for a week and forgot about it.

"You will both apologize to sansa for having scared her that way. You will clean the stables for coming month. You are banned from great hall for the coming month." he added.

Both children hung their heads, nodded sadly in answer. After all, Ned guessed it's eating away at them that they put Sansa at risk like that.

If one good came out of the entire fiasco, it's that they found a better way than milk of poppy to keep unicorn's subdued.

Yet, when the next day came, the people of winterfell are not so happy. For, it seemed the plant worked more as an aphrodisiac. The unicorns are at it all night and day for the next day. Then they fell asleep in the night. Then came the strangest, strangest part of the entire fiasco. Did you guess it right? The unicorns did not give birth to children. Instead, they laid eggs.

The only saving grace, when they told that to Sansa, she laughed so hard, she fell off the bed she was in. Just like that, Robb and Jon were forgiven, though they still have to slave through horse manure for rest of the month.


	4. Chapter 4

Howland Reed read the letter from Ned stark with amused disbelief. It is one strange and amusing tale, including the dangerous and unnecessary quest of little dragon prince and his children.

It is good that they found an incredibly vast piece of untouched forest, rather, they found the long lost sanctuary of neck is not infested with monsters any more. Yet, the danger such quest involved was as unnecessary as it could get.

With a single strange quest on their minds, and a most idiotic display of bravery - Meera, Jojen and Jon snow ran away with a single canoe in to the no-return marshes. These marshes called so, for no men that went in to the place ever returned. It is a true marvel they found the steaming lake instead.

In times of old, that is before the dragons arrived in westeros, this place used to be where people of neck wintered. The area is a large valley surrounded by deepest and most treacherous of marshes. Winds and storms arriving from north and vale in to the neck caused sudden whirlpools in the lake, that killed thousands of people over time.

On the top of that, every thing is big in this part of the marshes. Leeches, lizard lions, hell, even mosquitoes are larger here. How ever, in winter, outer layer of the marshes froze and allowed for travel. The lake is deep enough to allow under water life to flourish, thus making ice fishing possible.

The steaming lake warmed the entire valley that surrounded icy lake. Thus, the valley remained a rain forest, almost like summer islands, or islands of nath with life blooming in it during winter. In fact, life only flourished here during winter, as the forest is too hot and humid during summer.

As they went in to the forest, they found stretches of dragon glass in the mountains and valley. Then, in the steep mountain stretch that loosely connects them to vale, they found dragon bones, almost as big as famed Balerion the black dread. The remains of a single human are found along with the bones.

From what remained of the dragon and human, Howland could only assume that the dragon is sheep-stealer, human is Netty. That also explained how they both were able to drop off the face of earth. The place is warm enough for a dragon in summer, has enough food to feed even a dragon in winter.

What he never told any one is that he also found a cache of dragon eggs in one of the abandoned caves. In fact, it is Jon who found them. He woke up one day morning, decided he wanted to explore this cave. Seeing as none of the others are awake, Jon's impatience, Howland offered to accompany him.

He and Jon ventured in to the cave. For first few steps, it is naught but stone. After that came a most beautiful display of color. The cave is full of glowing mushrooms. Both of them smiled at the sight, though none made any effort to touch them. After all, mushrooms are among one of the most dangerous of neck's foes.

They both tied their hand kerchiefs to their noses and proceeded in to the cave. After a while, they came to a chamber full of dragon glass, smack in the middle of it, three colorful dragon eggs. A burnt orange, gray green like waters of steaming lake and ash gray like the color of a winter storm. Jon instinctively walked towards the dragon eggs.

"Wow.. Lord Reed, these stones are still warm." he said taking them in to hands and petting the stones.

Howland just stood there in surprise at the discovery. After patting them twice, Jon frowned.

"These don't feel like stones." Jon said trying to examine the eggs.

"That is because they are not. They are seeds of a rare oak plant, that's rumored to grow only during long night." Lord Reed said. Till to day, he is not sure why he said it.

Jon sat on his knees, still petting the dragon eggs.

"You should take them." Howland said suddenly.

"huh?" Jon turned towards Lord Reed.

"You are on a quest to collect plants and seeds for winterfell, are you not? Take them. They are rarer than you think. I believe it is fate you found them, so you must take them with you." Lord Reed answered.

"Okay." Jon nodded in answer, placed the eggs in cloth bag provided by lord reed.

They continued on in the tunnel, eventually emerging in to an opening that opened in to the steaming lake. The opening is just above the lake's highest edge. Few of the crannog men remained in the valley to scout and build cabins for winter. Rest all returned with Howland to gray-water watch.

For the first time in a long while, Howland felt better at the prospect of winter. Not that they wouldn't take the usual care, but this time around, they will have the added assurance of having a place that provides bounty of land even during winter.

* * *

The first of the crofters arrived in winter-fell after two weeks of unicorn eggs being laid. On the first day, one of the daring servants netted an egg and brought it to the chef.

He promptly tried to make some thing of it. Eventually, they found out, it's just impossible to cook an unicorn egg. It melted in to goo the moment it left the cold place where rest of them are. The parents both took to digging tunnels from pit.

Lord stark left them as they are, for as long as they threw some grass down the pit, the beasts stayed calm and happy. Still, they dug the tunnels.

They called for an arch maester or an apprentice to observe and catalog behavior of the beasts. Maester arrived fast enough. He even dared to go down one night in to the pit, after the beasts are out on milk of poppy, shorn a fistful of their hair. Unicorns hair made a fairly bad wool, but it made wool none the less. It's too rough to be used for any thing save ropes and rugs.

The true marvel of them all arrived after almost a month. An maester cum blacksmith, who was thrown out of citadel due to prejudice of high-born peers, arrived seeking patronage of Starks. Lord Stark made to refuse him so as to not anger citadel, but Sansa intervened. She told him to make him part of Sansa's crew, as she named the eclectic group of skilled men she gathered.

Eventually, Lord Stark accepted him under the guise that he will become squire to Robb Stark, who is too much of a boy to have any squires as of yet. By the end of it, Tomas was crying tears of eternal gratitude. He has been left with out a livelihood, for he is not a maester, he could not adjust to being an apprentice to second rate blacksmiths.

As soon as he settled down, Sansa shew him the picture of bicycle. She told him how it works in a very generic manner. Tomas was beyond overjoyed with the idea. Sansa left him to his own methods, for she her self has ideas about end products, but not the process or design. Best she could do is give a very vague description of what's needed.

Either way, tomas has become ghost of winter-fell's library since the time Sansa mentioned the machine. Every other day Sansa dropped by his desk to remind him not to die of starvation, and solve any of the simpler problems he has. When sansa first mentioned the way to calculate a circle's circumference, she got the rudest shock of her life. Tomas did not know what pi is. He had no idea what geometry is.

It is during those meetings it dawned on Sansa how much of an uphill battle she has even if she gathers enough people to discover every thing she wants early. Not to mention she is going to change future irrevocably.

Either way, Sansa imparted the knowledge she has, which is minuscule to say the best. For now, she decided she will be happy with dragon eggs and unicorns. How many of her contemporaries can say the same for them selves? She is going to hatch those bloody dragons, make Jon train them.

Speaking of Jon, it's about time he goes on the quest to find tomatoes again. This time, she hoped he brought real deal instead of legendary lost objects.

Jon, keeping in line with his promise, left after he served all his punishment with a fair deal more men. Each and every one of them have been inspired by the dinner time stories Jon told them. On the plus side, Starks are paying for most of the journey.

The day before they left, Sansa sneaked in to Jon's room with dragon eggs.

"Jon, do you know what these are?" she asked him showing the eggs wrapped in her hand kerchief.

"seeds of a rare oak plant?" Jon answered doubtfully, as if he is struggling to remember what this item is.

Sansa wondered if she should let him continue with his ignorance. At the end of it, she decided not to. It's a long time before dragons hatched, he can do some thing with them till then.

"They are dragon eggs." Sansa answered.

"Dragon eggs?" Jon returned with surprise, delight and little bit of fear in his eyes.

"I am not playing a prank. They are dragon eggs. You must not tell that to any one." Sansa told him.

Jon nodded eagerly, extending his hands to touch the eggs again.

Sansa offered them willingly. After all, he is the best person to hatch them.

"You should keep them in fire as much as possible. Give them a drop of your blood every day till they hatch. " Sansa added.

"Will they?" Jon asked with the same delight and fear.

"I do not know. How ever, the dragon lore legend says so. Who knows, one day they might indeed hatch." Sansa told him.

Jon looked every bit serious as he answered her next.

"I will complete this duty with utmost diligence, Lady Sansa." he said puffing up his chest, still gazing at dragon eggs with wonder.

Sansa couldn't help it. He looked so adorable there, with his boyish innocence. She pinched his cheeks, kissed his forehead.

"I have no doubt as to that, my knight." Sansa said.

Just as she is about to leave, she turned and asked him the question that is plaguing her since her arrival here.

"You are my Knight, aren't you Jon?" she asked.

"Yes, my lady." Jon answered with out a hint of doubt in his voice.

Sansa smiled beatifically at him, exited his room. She has to tell him of his birth, but she will wait for now. After all, she is but almost nine, he is still twelve.


	5. Chapter 5

Well, This chapter is supposed to be a transition. I started with wrong side first, so it could get a little off.

* * *

Sansa paused her pen on top of the parchment thoughtfully. She just have to have the next invention, she wanted it as fast as possible. What could that be you ask? Is it a seed dispenser? Steam engine? Or electricity? You are all wrong my dear friends. It's flushable toilets.

Yep, there you have it. All the great camping lovers, or all the great camping haters would have understood the importance of modern plumbing, how much it's presence or absence can change your daily schedule. She is late for breakfast third time in a row, and she dearly dearly wanted an shower and toilet.

So, she sat in front of the parchment thinking of a way to convince Tyrion Lannister to come and build a sewer system for winter-fell and winter town. How ever, it will not do to invite son of a great lord to come build toilets like a common stone mason.

She needs to put it right. She did not want to indicate or implicate all the technological advances that are happening at winter-fell. She needed just the right kind of bait to entice Tyrion, but not trigger attention of rest of the court. She did not want to become the talk of town any more than she already is. Finally, she decided to bet on Tyrion's hatred for queen Cersei, and his innate curiosity that could have killed more than cats.

Respected Lord Tyrion,

It is with great pleasure we extend an invitation to winter-fell. We heard you are a great fan of mythical creatures and folk lore. It will be a great honor to match minds with you. In a fort night, a contingent of winter-fell guard will be at kings-landing. If you so wish to, they will be happy to escort you on your journey through the north.

In anticipation,

Sansa Stark, First daughter of warden of the North,Lord Eddard Stark.

Brandon Stark, Second son of warden of North,Lord Eddard Stark.

She hoped it will suffice. This wouldn't ring too many bells, even if it does, on the account of including Bran, it will seem more like they are more interested in seeing imp of Lannisters rather than having any real substance to discuss. She is depending on the fact Tyrion Lannister hated Queen Cersei with all his heart. She dearly hoped Tyrion Lannister is sick of Kings-landing, thus will latch on to any escape he is provided.

After all, if all else fails, she can always give a quest to Jon. He will bring little lion to winter-fell kicking and screaming if need be. Though, looking at the way Jon has grown after gaining some confidence, he most probably could trick even a Lannister in to doing what he wants.

With the raven sent, Sansa went to the forge. Why you ask? She has to check on the progress of steam engine after all. It may not be number one on her list, but it is still in plan. Horses hurt your bum like hell after all.

* * *

This time, even Robb set out with Jon in his journeys. As such, their entourage swelled from mere ten men to fifty. Lady Catelyn glared and glared at Jon, but Rob was quite stubborn. He wanted to go on the quest, he wanted to have adventures. So, it is decided this time, the vice captain of the guard will accompany them. After all, Robb is heir to winter-fell.

Surprising all of them, old town fail outs, that is, the men citadel threw out started gathering at winterfell. Sansa welcomed this change, while Lord Stark grew more weary of such men. Most of them are housed in the castle and maester Luwin took few as assistants. Sansa talked to them and allocated tasks.

She hand picked few of these men to accompany Robb and Jon, after swearing them to non-disclosure with rest of world and clearly informing Robb and Jon to screen their mail and ravens. It Just wouldn't do to draw the eyes of wrong parties. Jon took the dragon eggs with him, kept that a secret even from Robb.

The unicorn babies hatched two days after they left. Looking at the babies, Sansa realized where all the unicorn fairy tales came from. They are the exact replica of the fairy tale unicorns, with glowing silver hair, ethereal glow, pretty horn and all. They took all but five babies and shorn their hair.

The babies, surprisingly or unsurprisingly, hated men, loved young ladies. Sansa could so see where all the mythical rumors of unicorns disliking any one but pure of heart came from. How ever, reality is far simpler. The skin of babies is quite sensitive. They liked people with soft hands, ones who did not reek of mud and horseshit. i.e. young women.

What ever it is, sansa had these babies treated gently, once they are shorn, they were laid on the rugs made of the adult unicorn hair. She could see with out insulation, babies are quite cold. She had them brought inside the castle, kept them in a low room on the rugs. Her mother nearly had a fit. Sansa had to use her ultimate weapon – tears - to get what she wanted.

It's all worth it in the end though. The weaver was delirious with happiness upon feeling the hair. How ever, the problem remained that he, or the apparatus North owned is not fine enough to weave such fine wool. They all suggested selling the wool, but Sansa refused. North is barren. If they keep sending out their natural resources out to be processed, eventually, they will turn poor their contemporaries rich.

So, she sent out for weavers, from all corners of earth. In other words, she wrote to Robb and Jon and told them to bring the best weaver in westeros to north, by threat or bribe. She could tell her brothers are not enthusiastic, but that changed when they encountered the first weaver. Turns out, convincing people to move their homes included lot more fighting with swords than searching for elusive plants.

So, they wrote back to her, informing her they are going from village to village checking the weavers. They even got some of the Ladies to accompany them on their errands. What ever it is, it's visible Robb and Jon are having time of their life, while Theon stayed at winter-fell and sulked like there's no tomorrow.

Lord Stark refused to let him go. Arya and Sansa made up, so they played among them selves. Sansa slowly but surely turned Bran away from Theon and Knighthood, made him think becoming next Brandon the builder is greatest goal in the world. It was surprisingly easy.

It all went fine and dandy, till Jon and Robb wrote saying they are going to kingslanding. Lord Stark hurried to tell them to avoid the place, but the fact remained kings landing is the best place to get a good weaver. So, they went in, asked for hospitality of Lord Arryn. It would have been fine if that's all that happened.

Like Murphy's law says, What ever that can go wrong, will go wrong. It seems one fine day, in court, King Robert wasn't as drunk as he usually is. Queen Cersei was pestering him to take on Lancel Lannister as squire. In a fit or tantrum, King legitimized Jon at the request of Robb, made him his squire. It followed that eventually when Jon is knighted, he will be joining whitecloaks.


	6. Chapter 6

Gods, It's been long since I updated this story. I almost forgot what I wrote in the first place. Even so, since this story is mostly one at a time kind of thing, I hope what I write will still be relevant. Some times it feels awesome to write this, cause I got this bad itch not to do any thing reviewers ask for, yet I have to do just that in order to go on at some point or another. Let's see if any one had gotten their guesses right for this chapter. With out further ado..

 **﴾﴿﴾﴿﴾﴿﴾﴿﴾﴿﴾﴿﴾﴿﴾ ﴿﴾﴿﴾﴿﴾﴿﴾﴿﴾﴿﴾﴿﴾﴿﴾﴿﴾﴿﴾﴿﴾﴿﴾﴿﴾﴿ ﴾﴿﴾﴿﴾﴿﴾﴿﴾﴿﴾﴿﴾﴿﴾﴿**

* * *

Life at winter-fell went on as usual. She is just as focused on next inventions, but she soon realized limits of her knowledge. Just because you know the end result does not mean you can magically conjure it. Sansa's new found respect for scientists and female rulers every where is growing by the minute as she spent her time in past. At the end of it all, her shining invention is not valyrian steel or seed plows but a hot air balloon. a hot air balloon which should have been impossible to make with out nylon.

The reason? It's simple. The craftsman who made wicker baskets listened to her. The seamstress who made the balloon skin listened to her. Mikken? Now, he did not listen to her at all. Oh, aye, he nodded his head and talked all kinds of platitudes, but he is fixed in his ways. Yes, he did good work, but she did not just need good work when it came to her ideas, she needed over the top inventor kind of work. Mikken is simply too busy and too set in is ways.

At the end of the day, she gave up on mikken for the time being, focused on her hot-air baloon. She had her personal squad of tinkerers treat it with unicorn egg goo, it was easy to find a wicker frame to hang it and lift it off from. No person has offered to go up in the balloon yet, but they did succeed in lifting it with five hundred pounds of weight. Every one is too afraid to go up in it and tune the fire in order to fly. She is currently searching for a brave soul who wanted to fly other than Bran.

One good thing this entire display achieved is that Mikken finally believed her and started working on what she advised him. Even so, she realized she may not really get all she asked of him. After all, he is castle smith and in a castle the size of winter-fell, that is the busiest job of all.

She kept hearing more and more about Jon from south. Robb, after a short spell of time in kings landing, left to explore rest of south. Rather, he took on the quest for Sansa, explored reach and their bounty. She heard from both Robb and Jon. Her father heard from Jon Arryn in addition to her brother and cousin. While Sansa did not have the entire truth, from the bits and pieces she heard, her father's darkening expression, she made it out some thing is not going too well.

Amidst all this, Tyrion Lannister arrived from kings landing, with their letter in hand and an empty wine-skin in another. He arrived with fifty of Manderly men of all people, seem to be having surprisingly good rapport with all of them. Lord Stark greeted him with due respect, but any one who knew him could tell it is lukewarm. To his credit, Tyrion did not seem to mind at all. Sansa decided to broach the reason to invite him rather earlier than later. It will be after all an insult to Tyrion's intelligence otherwise.

"Greetings Lord Stark, Lady Stark" Tyrion greeted them as the custom dictated.

"Greetings, Lord Lannister. I welcome you to my hearth, offer meat and mead off my table, warmth of my hearth for your comfort. Please, enjoy your self." her father replied evenly.

"I sure will, Lord Stark. I heard some rather nice things about northern ale. I hope it turns out every thing tis rumored to be." Tyrion said lifting his cup and taking a sip.

The conversation flown rather freely after that. Surprisingly or unsurprisingly, it centered almost all around Jon and Robb. Mostly Jon, as he seemed to be a good friend of Tyrion. He seemed to have earned the title of Lord Snow, even with legitimization, for there was no other bastard that has been as close to the king and hand, save for blood raven. He seemed to be the envy of kingslanding, for both King and Hand spoiled him rotten.

That is, if she were to believe the words of Tyrion. He seemed to have made just as many enemies as he had made friends in red keep. Fortunately for Jon, at the moment, his friends are more powerful than his enemies.

Sansa wondered if it is a good sign or bad sign that Jon is legitimized and kings squire now. In medieval world, it meant he is one of the prospects, but then, she did not know twelve or thirteen is an acceptable age to start looking for spouses.

She dearly hoped her cousin will behave just like every other boy his age and keep his eyes more focused on his quest than girls. Even more than that, she fervently prayed to old gods to not let any one find out about the dragon eggs that he had in his possession.

Bran was quite envious to learn ser Barristan the bold has taken over training of Jon. It seems even Robb was part of it till he left to reach. For what's it is worth, Sansa is confident Jon is capable of navigating the cesspit of politics.

Just as her father was apprehensive of the attention given to Jon, her mother was celebratory of attention given to Robb. She is almost ecstatic to hear that Robb is a staunch favorite of princess Myrcella. Sansa her self knew from the letters that Robb's favorite is Margery tyrrel. Not that she would ever tell that to her parents. It's hers and Robb's secret after all.

She wrote back to both Robb and Jon to subtly advertise that winter-fell is looking for more learned men, might even sponsor an arch maester's studies provided he had the right project. A steady trickle of men started pouring in, but they were more skilled workmen rather than learned men who can take an idea from Sansa and make it reality.

As much as Sansa wanted to effuse her knowledge, she was even more determined about keeping it stark exclusive. As she read history, she is starting to realize any advantage that she did not have, is another sword on her neck, whether she intended for it to be a sword or not.

With all the excitement and reminiscing going on at the table, Sansa decided to floor the discussion she intended to have with Tyrion. She could notice the longing on Tyrion's face as he looked at their family. Sansa had to agree they are rather rambunctious bunch, even more than that, Stark's are a tight knit loving family, rather rare amongst current great houses. Save for Tyrrells.

Sansa could almost see why Robb liked Margery other than her horse riding skills. Pun totally intended. As the night grew late, her mother sent children to bed. Sansa is chagrined to realize she fell under that category even now. Most probably she will fall under it for the coming year as well.

The next day, she found Tyrion at the balloon station, eyeing it curiously.

"Would you be willing to brave ride in it, My lord?" she asked politely.

Tyrion startled, though he covered it up fast enough.

"Why my lady, if I didn't know better, I would say you are trying to grant my father's long standing wish by squashing me to my death."

Sansa laughed.

"We can take precautions against squashing you, my lord. As long as you are able to steer it well." Sansa responded.

She her self can actually steer a hot air balloon, but the oil, frame and even the amount is different here.

She had to get the right amounts, but in order to do that, some one has to go up in it and figure it out. Sansa her self would have, but unfortunately, she is still a minor. While her parents may allow her any number of eccentricities, she doubted they will give her the same lee way if she risked her life to test one.

"What precautions?" Tyrion asked curiously.

"Why my lord, we are going to stuff you like a pig and make sure you can't roll around. How ever hard you may try. It wouldn't do to squash a lion of Lannister." Sansa said with a smile.

"My! You are quite precocious little lady aren't you?" Tyrion said poking the frame of the flame holder.

"You can probably fly this evening it self. If you go right now to get fitted in to your furs." Sansa said.

"Really?" Tyrion asked.

"Yes, My lord. At the moment we are looking for the brave souls who can go up in to the sky and figure drop and rise. I will explain specifics later. You must go now. If father or mother knows, they won't let you fly." Sansa said excitedly. She may have pushed her enthusiasm a little, but she really wanted this to work out.

"Lead the way, My lady." Tyrion said offering his arm.

By the time sun set, or just before it, Sansa and crew sneaked out to where they left their balloon. The tether is an two inch rope, it's length equal to winter-fell's circumference as Sansa has absolutely stipulated. She had a clear system worked out, she taught it to Tyrion, she even had him write, sign and stamp a waiver in presence of witnesses. Tyrion bore through the entire fuss with an amused smile.

She made him promise again and again he will take no risks. She had him recite the safety manual time and again. She only let up when Tyrion quipped that he is almost starting to understand what having a mother felt like.

Tyrion was apprehensive as he went up. He went up step by step, noted down the items Sansa Stark told him to dutifully with a contraption she called pen, that is like a quill that never needs inking. Tyrion made a note to him self to get him self to get one of those when he's back to ground.

'back to ground' – that is a expression I like, Tyrion thought absent mindedly as he noted down the wick number thirty. It is then he realized that he is not even on the ground, and he did not even look around till now, following Sansa stark's instructions frantically. It is unnaturally quiet around him, wind grew far chiller than it is when he boarded.

To hell with instructions, he decided as he stopped what he is doing, and took a look around. What he saw, almost left him breath less. He is far up in the air, he can see all of winter-fell clearly. The soldiers on top of battlements are almost the size of dogs.

For the first time in his life ever, Tyrion forgot all his worries. This must be what it feels like to be on dragon back, he thought. He still had lot higher to climb. He reached the very top, just in minutes to sunset.

It is the most beautiful thing Tyrion ever saw. The sun setting lighting up the entire north silver, gold, pink and purple, clouds spread in front of swaying lightly, he the only man standing which ever way he looked.

An utter joy over took him as he realized he will be the first man ever to see this kind of scenery after dragons died. Not Tywin Lannister the old lion, or Jaime Lannister the golden lion, but he, the Tyrion Lannister the imp. Tears ran freely on his cheeks as he shouted nonsense in to the sky with no echo. There is nothing tall enough to echo at this height.

Tyrion stumbled out of his flight on to the ground. He waited for exactly ten seconds to gather his wits.

"How much for one of these, Lady Stark?" he asked.

Sansa grinned widely in response. He is soo going to regret that question. Hundred thousand stags, she wrote on a torn paper and gave it to him.

Tyrion wilted upon reading that. Sansa smiled at him.

"Since you are the most brave person I have seen around here in a long time, I will make you an offer. You will give me your complete and utter servitude till you can gather required sum, in return, I will let you fly this contraption when ever you want." Sansa proposed.

"Deal." Tyrion said extending his hand and shaking it firmly as if to ensure Sansa will not renege.

"Lord Lannister, your first duty is to keep this entire incident a secret from my parents." Sansa told him in a stage whisper as they started walking towards castle.

That is how the first hot air balloon human test in westeros happened. Just like that, Tyrion Lannister got suckered in to a honey trap before he can even smell the honey.

* * *

 **﴾﴿﴾﴿﴾﴿﴾﴿﴾﴿﴾﴿﴾﴿﴾ ﴿﴾﴿﴾﴿﴾﴿﴾﴿﴾﴿﴾﴿﴾﴿﴾﴿﴾﴿﴾﴿﴾﴿﴾﴿﴾﴿ ﴾﴿﴾﴿﴾﴿﴾﴿﴾﴿﴾﴿﴾﴿﴾﴿**

oh.. what can I say? Inspiration sprang forth. Review and let me know what you think of it.


	7. Chapter 7

The polite thing to do when some one is trying to kill you is be paranoid. Unfortunately, no one ever accused Jon of being sensitive to such things. Rather, he never afforded to be sensitive to homicidal intentions as Lady Stark wanted to kill him half the time between breakfast,lunch and dinner. He got desensitized to murdorous intentions.

Thus, when umpteenth number of blond shit pointed him in the way no one is going during hunt in kingswood, Jon shrugged it off as good intentions of a nice colleague guiding him to lush game. He never even considered that southrons did not hunt with out drums and hounds. If that was all, it would have gone well for him.

At the very best, he would have been lost in forest, at the worst, he would have been found by bandits or their ilk, but he would have been able to defend him self and run in a pinch. Alas, it was not to be. Jon Snow had to be a bleeding heart, had to follow that elusive white streak he has seen.

He had all but a second to feel the dejavu before that white streak ran past him. It's not a streak at all. It's a small white fawn. He could feel the eyes on his back and danger to his person before he can even see or smell the predator. The predator strolled languidly in to the view.

It's a lion, not just a random member of the pride, but the complete two fifty pounds or so weighing mass of muscle with paws size of his head and jaws that could probably snap him in half. Jon chose this particular moment to find his own brand of morbid humor by wondering if he is going to follow in steps of the great stark legacy and die as soon as he stepped foot in south.

After all, he only had one puny wooden spear to face the lion with, which is probably quite hungry, eyeing him and the fawn with the same glib expression of 'yay, dessert'. He just held his spear at his side. Stupid, he knew. Sensing the prey giving up, the lion took a great leap towards them.

Jon took a step forward, held his spike the only way he knew at the moment, standing and strong. It must have been the reverse karma for all the bad luck he had since birth – for this one time, fate favored him like no other time. The lion impaled it self on the spike, Jon just bent backwards, tried to scramble out of it's way, but his legs are still trapped under the lion.

Yet, the lion is dead. He still couldn't move his legs. Slowly, the adrenaline rush faded away, Jon was left there with lion blood soaking through his boots and breeches. He gathered him self, after some futile efforts, he pulled him self from under the lion. It's head was damn heavy. He picked up the white fawn, which laid there helplessly with an injured leg.

By the rules of the hunt, he should have killed it. Yet, the fawn is but a babe barely grown, it's pelt almost never seen snowy white, it's eyes, a soft black and gray. In that moment, Jon felt a strange kinship with the strange animal, which would have been quite out of place in any herd. He decided then and there he is going to spare this animal, if possible find a place where it can spend to it's old age comfortably.

He tore his shirt and made a bandage for the fawn's leg, sat waiting by the lion's dead body. Sooner or later, the huntsmen and the hounds will be here. How could they not with all the blood that stank to seventh hell. So, Jon sat there, waited and waited some more. Had it been any but Robert Baratheon that has entered the clearing first, they would have booted Jon out of his place and claimed the bounty for them selves.

Luckily, it's Robert who entered the clearing. When he realized that Jon has killed the lion with naught but a spear, he laughed and laughed some more. The king gave him a hearty slap in the back, which almost saw Jon fall face first in to the ground. He held fast, he couldn't break the little fawn any more than needed.

"We aught to kill her now, little Ned!" the king told him as he looked at the fawn.

Jon just couldn't bring him self to do it.

"Please, your grace. The stag is symbol of your house. The white fawn is a symbol of rejuvenation and fertility. Please, it's bad luck to kill her." Jon pleaded.

The king smiled at him.

"There is no helping it, is it? You are as much a bleeding heart as your father, aren't you?" Robert said as he looked at Jon fondly. Jon kept his puppy dog eyes full force. Ti's do or die.

After a moment, Robert chuckled, ruffling Jon's hair.

"Aye, little Ned. You can keep her. God knows, all the ladies are going to coo over her and curse my name if I were to kill her." he said exasperatedly. Then turned around started ordering every one arranging for the dead lion's transport as if he hadn't considered killing the fawn at all.

Jon couldn't wait to write to his siblings about all that happened to day. Robb and Arya would be envious, Bran will be awed and Sansa will worry. It all would have ended with naught but a simple lion pelt gained if the king hadn't chosen to make a bloody epic battle out of it.

As soon as they went to the castle, King announced a feast in Jon's name, which set half the servants glaring at him angrily. Not that king wouldn't find some thing else to feast about. Then, he went on making a toast to Jon alone.

"To Jon Stark, the Dark wolf and lion slayer." the king raised his cup and drank.

"To Jon Stark." some said with non-committal expression.

"To Dark wolf." the Arryn men as they raised their cups and drank.

"To Lion Slayer." a particularly vindictive bunch toasted as they sniggered at Lannisters.

Jon him self was allowed only watered down wine, courtesy of Jon Arryn. If it was up to Robert Baratheon, he would have had a full flagon of dornish red.

It was wrong to have thought it would have been over and done with a simple feast, none any more aware of him than they were before. Jon found to his lament it is not so.

Every where he went, the girls giggled at him, some even threw flirtatious smile his way. Jon was blissfully unaware, but every squire around him threw him a dirty glance at least once.

Then, to add fire to the oil, Barristan the bold him self met Jon on the training field. Jon did not know what to do with all this new found fame and attention, but he decided to take Sansa's advise of 'if you can't avoid it, enjoy it' spirit. After all, it would be easier to recruit men to his cause if Sansa ever came up with another crazier quest. For now, he stayed, poured kings wine, trained with best of realm's knight, shadowed for the man who truly ruled the realm and best of all, answered to the name stark. Life couldn't get better, he thought to him self.

* * *

Life couldn't get worse, thought Sansa to her self. While the rumors generated a steady flow of skilled men in to winter-fell, Sansa realized most of them are useless, intractable and worst of all, chauvinistic. She told them to either suck it up or get out of winter-fell, the ones who choose to remain mostly tended to be useless.

She did not realize the biggest flaw in her plan till Mikken actually approached her and asked if there is some thing she did not tell him about steel formula. It is then that she realized the fault of her thinking. While some of the little things are achievable, like her hot air balloon with the surprising discovery of unicorn egg goo, it's not the same with every thing else.

Yes, she knew a thousand parts of iron and four to two parts of carbon made steel. Knowing it, and making it in reality or entirely different things. The carbon, had to be added to the furnace in such a manner it does not burn out. Kind of like trying to pour hot oil in to fire and hoping it wouldn't catch. Then there is the fact that this upped melting point for steel, and they can't generate the required amount of heat in the forge as it were.

She knew of electricity and it could be generated by turning magnets at a perpendicular angle to each other, but that's the extent of it. How one is supposed to create and work with electricity from that, go figure. She knew glass could be generated by melting sand. What kind of sand? Will the glass not shatter with heat variations? There are way too many questions, not enough answers.

It is with all these problems, she finally told her self enough is enough and sneaked her self in to maester's chambers. She needed a break. Septa Mordane is trying extra hard these days as Sansa almost completely lost her interest in any kind of womanly arts and focused almost entirely on what she termed as 'unwomanly business". Sansa entirely stopped praying in the sept just to spite her. What can you say? Sansa the surgeon is not Sansa the silly.

She may have liked the same womanly pursuits of beauty, but she didn't become queen-bee by being sweet and kind. It had been some thing she never told any one, but working star charts and winter year calculations always calmed her. Yes, strange, she knew. Even so, she excelled at this in school, and she sat with a chart denoting the years each summer and winter lasted and set about calculating from past eight thousand years.

Even with the most latest technology, they haven't been able to predict winter years correctly. How ever, there is a method called morino and yettler, where in the winter is never shorter than Morino, and never longer than yettler. This method is called unscientific and non-proven, but it's fun to calculate. Best of this is there are no real calculations involved, just a lot of mix and match guessing.

Even so, she calculated her winter years, arranging every thing by the blocks of five hundred years, eventually figured the next winter is going to be thirty six years. That's almost half the life time. Considering most men and women this world died young. Yes, from disease and war, still, they died young.

"The next winter is thirty six years!" Sansa gasped in surprise just as maester Luwin came in along with Lord Stark.

"You can not know that child. No one can predict how long winter is." maester Luwin told her kindly.

Unfortunately, he caught Sansa Stark at a bad time in a bad place. If there is one thing Sansa hated more than any thing, it is being told she is wrong.

Thus, she sat down both her lord father and Maester Luwin and explained away her data and her method of calculating the winter's length. Slowly but surely, as they them selves calculated the years, the Lord and maester both came to believe in Sansa. She thought nothing of it at the moment. She thought nothing of it till the time she went to sleep.

It is when she woke, the true trouble began. She now held two memories, one, where she is being taught the morino-yettler method of calculating winter, another, where they taught princess Sansa of winter-fell invented the method, the same way of calculating winter years. Dread pooled in Sansa's stomach as she realized she is changing history. All this changing history business is not so fun any more.

* * *

Every one who reviewed: Thank you. You guys are the best & I love you all.

The grumpy guest: if you are that bothered - copy, fix , credit, post. I have a name fetish, as long as you name things carefully and well, I don't care how much you copied.

To all my faithfull readers: Thank you all for your support. Sorry this chapter is so off the point, or not in the spirit of the beginning. Sooner or later I had to write other's adventurous arcs, consider this a beginning.

I will do a list of summary in the next chapter. I kind of don't like doing tedious stuff, so I'l post-pone at the moment, how ever, i'l do it some time.


	8. Chapter 8

Robb Stark had no idea he was such a stud. Strike that.. he had an idea as the heir to the north, he is a good marriage prospect, but he had no bloody idea he is in such a demand that ladies will fight like dogs over him or worse, fight like cats.

He did not realize that till a new girl tittered at him, his companion on his hand said - "My! What a toad."

that was unkind. Robb slightly frowned at lady toad, his companion, princess Myrcella pulled him away from the lady in question.

The king threw a feast in their honor as soon as they arrived in kings landing. Jon is standing behind the king pouring his wine, looking as awkward as possible with a stern countenance. If the king is not as large or as old, one would think Jon the parent, King the child with the way things are unfolding at high table.

Robb happily danced with every maiden that smiled at him, after all, that's what he is trained to do, with out hearing the sighs in his wake. He had no idea that a dozen ravens left kings landing with almost orders to their fathers.

He left kings landing with same obliviousness. It is not until he reached first keep in crownlands he realized some thing is amiss.

The girls looked at him and giggled, waving their hands. Robb, being the polite heir he is, always answered with a smile and wave. They giggled louder in response.

The lord threw a feast in their honor, insisted that Robb and company must dine with them.

"They say you are the most charming boy in westeros, I now see they are not wrong." the lord began.

Warning bells went off in Robb's head. That's an opening pitch if ever there is one. For the day, he bore the lords throwing their daughters at him, decided then and there that he will keep off their keeps as much as possible.

It went well for all of a day's riding before they got a call from lord or ladies Chelsted, offering them hospitality. It went on like that till till they reached Tarly lands.

It would have been better if they had reached just few moments later, politically, that is. They hadn't announced their arrival, they came in with the small folk.

The Tarly guards were trying a guard against a girl who accused him of promising to marry her, leaving her with a bastard. All she had for kin is a little brother, who is naught but twelve year old.

It is clear from the witnesses that the guard is the one in wrong. Robb fully expected the lord to take the woman's side. What happened next shocked him. Lord Tarly announced if he is to have each and every guard of his marry every whore that came in to his halls, he would have a shortage of whores.

"A trial by combat." shouted the little brother.

"My sister is no whore, mi lord, if my father hadn't died, he would have married her." he said pointing at the guard.

Every one in the hall laughed at the boy.

"I would fight for my self, my lord." the guard in question announced.

"Who will fight for you boy? Your self?" the Lord Tarly asked him derisively.

Robb moved before his guards stop him.

"I will." he announced.

For the first time, every one in the hall turned to him, in disbelief.

"And who you might be?" Lord Tarly asked angrily.

"Robb Stark, son of Eddard Stark, warden of the north." he announced.

The room elicited a collective gasp.

"Why are you in a disguise Robb Stark? Are you spying on me?" Lord Tarly asked even more angrily, if that's possible.

"If I was, which I am not, all I would have to do is keep my mouth shut, my lord. Is attending public court called spying these days?" Robb answered back.

"to the first blood." the lord announced.

The crowd cleared. The guard, who was so confident before looked fearful now. Why wouldn't he be? He is fighting some one who's on a higher standing than his own lord.

It is still an uneven match with a thirteen year old boy and a fully grown man, but in this context, it just might not be.

Robb has fought along the way with bandits and wildling. They had their fair share of troubles by now, he is experienced enough.

It was clear he is a better swords man than the guard, sooner rather than later, Robb got the man with a feint to the left, then slashing his right. Blood gushed out of the wound.

Robb stood back with his sword at the ready.

"Accused found guilty." Randyll Tarly announced as if he is swallowing a sour lemon.

Robb glared down at the man, who is holding on to the gash on his side.

"Consider your self lucky, Southron. In north, we take the heads of oath-breakers and rapists." Robb growled with hatred.

He did not like men who take advantage of little girls.

Robb turned back to the guard, walked towards his guards.

The man, who was watching Robb with as much loathing as his lord, rushed to Robb as if to stab him. It looked as if he is going to get stabbed.

Robb turned, parried the blow knocking the sword out of the mans hands. He kept the sword at the man's neck.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't take your life now?" Robb asked, glaring at the man.

Two of winter-fell guards jumped in to the arena as if to defend Robb.

"You will not, Lord Stark, for I will take that life." Lord Tarly answered slitting the guards throat.

"Let that be a lesson to you, you fools. We do not loose to little boys." Lord Tarly announced to the crowd.

Robb did not try and correct him. There is no point. What ever Lord Tarly may say, the men have seen him fight, they will be respectful.

Lord Tarly turned back to him.

"I have heard you are quire the ladies man, young wolf, I did not expect you are just as good a fighter. Welcome to my abode. We shall dine as friends tonight."

"Then as friends, I will ask you to do right by the maiden, my Lord." Robb answered.

Lord Tarly nodded in answer.

It is at that feast Robb Stark met Samwell Tarly. This feast was no different from hundred others he attended. Little Dickon Tarly was in awe of him, despite him being only a lords son and younger than his brother. Ladies Tarly in assorted ages of fourteen, twelve and ten tried their very very best to bat their eye lashes.

His guards are of the opinion that he would not be able to cross Tarly lands safely with out a betrothal. It is in order to escape their presence, Robb asked what he did.

"If it is acceptable to you, lord Tarly, I will have master Samwell as my aide. It is a perilous quest we are on, we need all the help we could get." he said.

He fully expected Lord Tarly to deny. Who will willingly send their first born in to danger? Fat sam as they called him looked like he will die on the first day if he is to face same things as Robb and his company. Lord Tarly gave him the widest smile he has seen since his arrival.

"I would prefer it if you were to take him as a squire, Robb Stark. He can learn a great deal from you." Lord Tarly told him, while Robb sat there staring at him in confusion.

The next day, they left huntsman lands with generous provisions, fresh horses and a walking talking library. You don't even need to say google.


	9. Chapter 9

Invented till now:

unicorn, cashmere goats, nylon, avocodos, dragon eggs, good steel, hot air baloons, coffee, weaving machines, steam power, fountain pen.

In progress:

Sansa's surgical tools, pencilin, glass, stainless steel, bycicles.

* * *

Sansa stood back and examined the machine before her. It's supposed to be bike, but the wheel size is wrong, gears did not seem to be working properly. The tires are made of softwood folded with weirwood sap, a poor replacement for rubber. They are still experimenting with resins and wood chips, there have been some strange concoctions that came out of these experiments. For one, they found a tree who's fruits and bark combined resins of ironwood made a mixture as hard as iron if not harder. A hard plastic that does not melt, when burned, it could melt stone and more.

She has commissioned for the recipe to be noted down, sworn all the creators to secrecy at sword point, started their industrial production in a far away keep in wolfs wood. If any thing, all the cloak and dagger business seemed to excite the men far more than normal signing of non-disclosure. She guessed it made them feel like they are part of some very very important business to be threatened so. Either way, she sent them away with an alchemist guild's reject and one of the crafts men with instructions to make a stand up furnace.

Robb and Jon both wrote back to her detailing their adventures. Sansa dearly hoped King would knight Jon so he can come back. How ever, it is not Jon, but Robb that concerned her now. If the news she got is right, he had taken Samwell Tarly as squire. He is a guest at Highgarden right now, even with out him saying so, she could see by his letters he is smitten with Margery Tyrell. She could only guess it will end up in flames, for she remembered this name from stupid sansa's diary. That girl was a born gold digger, gold diggers of this generation are far more unwavering.

She could only hope her sweet brother will recover from his heart break when it came. She had to break it up before he could get in any more deep, which is what he is going to do if he stays for more time at highgarden as he plans to. So, she has written to Robb that he is to go to summer islands or islands of nath by ship, to get a breed of cows and as many varied fruit and vegetable trees as possible. She is not opposed to him bringing any other interesting things from summer islands either.

Along with the letter, she had sent him a trial scuba diving suit, along with glass goggles, snorkeling gear, with clear instructions and enough scares to make sure he takes her instructions seriously. She wrote to him about insects, hygiene directions and twenty threats about what happens when he drinks water with out boiling first. She dearly hoped he took her directions seriously. What she did not expect to happen is Paxter Redwyne providing her brother with a ten ship escort, Loras Tyrell accompanying her brother along with a posse of Reach second and third sons.

In retrospect, she should have expected it. Robb is charming. Her brother in future had been a senator at twenty six, minister at thirty. Robb of this world is no different, almost making Sansa wonder if her family is a different type of living fossils with their unchanging looks and behavior. He had a way of telling stories of his adventures neither downplaying nor exaggerating, still making every one long for them. He had no doubt charmed the wits off literally every Reach man he met. She could not imagine Loras Tyrell not being attracted to some one as good looking as her brother, rest must have followed trying to win glory or for the sheer adventure with less risk.

How ever, it is not Robb that worried her. She is sure what ever adventures Robb may have on sea, he will return back safe and sound. Summer islands are exotic and best of all, peaceful. It is Jon that worried her more. When Jon had written her complaining about the godswoods, she wrote back saying just to ask king for some land in the city so he can plant a public godswood. In retrospect, she should have known better. Religion is a delicate thing,even more so in medieval period. South is more for seven, as such, it was obvious that the request to plant a godswood will be seen as a political move regardless of innocent notions behind it. It all escalated in to almost political and religious disaster.

* * *

Jon waited in the court along with all the small folk and nobles making their requests for the king. The king is too drunk, so Jon is free to do what he wants till the king wakes up. To day, Jon Arryn is holding court, along with queen as he did most of the times. The queen looked bored and mildly irritated as she looked at all the smal folk in the court. Their eyes met before Jon could avert his eyes. Her eyes darkened with the anger seeing him in the court. There was a rumor in the court going around if they haven't seen and heard king fucking his his whores as he is wont to do, they might assume that king swung other way with how much lee way he gives Jon. It is part true, but Jon would never abuse king's trust.

The queen smiled maliciously at him, motioned the squire to present him next, making all the nobles and small folk in front of him glare at him. Jon wondered for the first time if he shouldn't have taken Sansa's suggestion of asking kings patronage in court. It's not as if Sansa is always right, just most of the times. Even so, she is his patron now, he is her sworn sword first regardless of him being a squire to king. So, he would have to take her suggestion, but there could have been a better time to do so.

"What business do you have with the crown to day, Jon Stark?" Jon Arryn asked him from the throne. He hid his surprise quite well at seeing Jon in court.

"Lord hand, I come before court to day to request a piece of land in the city to grow a godswood." Jon said firmly.

"Wasn't there a godswood in Redkeep?" Jon Arryn asked him back.

"Aye. How ever it is not accessible to every man in the city, there are other northern folk in the city." Jon answered back dutifully.

Jon knew even before Jon Arryn responded that he is going to postpone the request so he can contemplate it in private. That is fine by him, it is the best he could hope in this situation. How ever, The queen interrupted before Lord hand can speak.

"I know of a perfect place for your treegods, bastard. It is north of fleabottom." the queen said.

A silence descended in the court. The high septon giggled, while Jon Arryn looked horrified. The land north of fleabottom is pisswater, thorough which all the sewage of the city flows in to blackwater rush. Jon's anger boiled over. Jon answered before he could control him self.

"I accept the offer and Thank you for it, your grace. I hope you know it is not me, a lowly squire you insult to day but the old gods them selves. They are not quite as softhearted as the seven. They are as old as time, as relentless as winter. It is the gods them selves that will answer you. Lord hand, if it is alright by you, I will take my leave now." he bowed and stormed out of the court before any body can say any thing to him.

It is only after he left the court to King's chamber did he realize how bold he had been with his words. He shrugged it off, took water and wine to kings chamber along with his breakfast. King Robert started his day with wine, ended his day with wine. The whispers already followed him as he walked to kings chamber. News always traveled fast in kingslanding, he is sure queen is plotting her revenge on him by now.

For all his faults, king Robert is ridiculously fast on reading a situation, even more so when cutting to the heart of it. As soon as he woke up and seen first of his servants give a look to Jon, he asked what happened. Jon did not hide any thing from the king as he told him of what happened in the court to day. King's rage was some thing to behold.

"That stupid woman. Sleight to your gods is wrong, little Ned. What do you want to be done about it?" King Robert asked him.

"I already accepted the land, your grace. All I ask is to let the godswood to be treated with respect it deserves once I plant it." Jon answered.

"Some help getting weirwood saplings here won't hurt either." he added as a later thought.

The king nodded his head.

"Very well then. I will give you an escort of fifty men to get your trees here, name you protector of kingslanding godswood. You are free to act as you see fit against threats to your gods, with in it's perimeter." King answered.

Jon is relieved and impressed at the same time. He had been quite disappointed when he has looked at the king first, but as he served the king, he saw what his father might have seen in the king in very few rare moments. This is one of them. He nodded in answer, left that evening it self before the queen will spoil his plans. If he had to hear the knights speak of it, the kingslanding is divided on what queen has done. For while they may scorn the old gods as heathen gods, insulting any gods is never taken lightly, whether you believe in them or not. The king and queen seemed to have fought over this matter as well. Jon has lost count of number of times king and queen fought because of him by now.

When they reached the isle of faces, all the knights refused to enter the lake with the boat. So, he and two peasant boys who rowed the boat to the island. When he has gotten to the island, he could see why the knights are scared of the place. The tree faces are every where, on every tree. Where ever you turn, you look in to eyes of one of those faces, each different, each looking at you with unblinking stare. It is as if gods are taking measure of each and every of his movements. Surprisingly, Jon just felt peaceful and protected in here regardless of all stares.

The peasant boys both made a tent and fire on the shore. Jon went to center of the island, spoke to the old gods as his father always did. He told them of his purpose, he told them of the sleight queen has given. He asked them to judge it the way they intended to, his purpose of taking weirwood saplings with him. While the peasant boys slept on the shore, Jon slept in middle of island. When he woke next morning, there were nine weirwood saplings next to him. He was only slightly disappointed he missed seeing green men, but thanked the gods any way.

The journey back was with out any notable incidents, but Jon could feel and see the knights are wary of the weirwood saplings after hearing how he came by them. Regardless of all their misgivings, he walked to the pisswater the same day, planted all the nine weirwoods with a heart tree in the center. It would have been great if it all ended with that.

The weirwoods grew extremely fast. On the day he planted them, they were no more than saplings, coming up to his waist. The next day, they were as tall as a fully grown man, third, as tall as a small hut, by the end of week, as big as a young oak tree. The whispers grew along with the abnormal growth of weirwoods. Once or twice, he heard servants whisper queen has been cursed by old gods. By the time Jon went to visit them after a month, the trees are almost as big as the ones in winterfell godswood.

Old gods curses or not, the trees have grown quite tall, the place has become surprisingly free of stench. Each tree had a small pool growing by it. It seemed some of the kingslanding orphans have taken to living in godswood, for it seemed to be the cleanest place available to them after the tunnels. It didn't seem to hurt that all the grown ups are a bit scared of entering the place, for there was a rumor going around that old gods kill all sinners when they enter the godswood.

When he wrote back to sansa with all the outlandish rumors, fast growth of weirwoods that even he him self found weird, she wrote back saying human waste is the best manure there is. She wrote some thing about dominant species and an ideal habitat, gist of it is, the land is fertile, it is weirwood growth season. She told to not to put too much stock in rumors, if any one blames him of any honky ponky business, just tell him what she told her. Thus, Jon put all his worries to rest, decided that Sansa is always right, he is happy with a godswood with heart trees.

* * *

Well – I wanted to write about a gigantic carnivorus weirwood island like the one in life of pi, but decided to scale it back. We will get there some time or other.

Hmm.. what should I do next?


	10. Chapter 10

Well, I kind of cut my finger cutting fruit. So it's quite painful to type, but I will manage.

As far as grammar and beta goes, I will try, but I make no promises. More times than not, I can check and correct my self to an acceptable grammar. How ever, I am one of those blessed or cursed people who can't read any thing twice. I will do it at some point, when I am in mood for it.

I my self belong to the school of 'any update is good update as long as it's not just authornote'. So, errors and all – here's to a new chapter.

* * *

It would have been all well and good if a too fast growing weirwoods is all that happened at the kingslanding godswood. Unfortunately, it's so much more. Jon could not say he did not expect it. He expected some thing bad to happen, but more along the lines of a scuffle, probably him self to fight off some of Lannister soldiers trying to cut the trees.

What happened is far more. The queen sent a contingent of fifty soldiers in all their Lannister glory to cut of the weirwoods and burn the entire godswood. The soldiers went in making all the noise they can, calling the entire kingslanding's attention to them selves.

They entered goodswood drums beating, rains of castamere playing and all the southern pomp. As the first man holding axe lifted it to swing at the weirwood, the roots under their feet cracked. In the next minute, all of the contingent of soldiers plunged in to what could only be called a quagmire.

None of the onlookers helped them. Not even the watching gold cloaks made any effort to help them. The denizens of fleabottom watched the Lannister soldiers sink in to depths of earth with unrestrained glee. The goldcloaks watched in dumbfound shock as their screams silenced, horses and men alike sank in under the mud.

If one thinks with a scientific mind, it's not all that surprising. While the weirwoods grew fast, they are new. The place they were planted in is a slope, yet, the goods wood is as flat as it can be. The ground is made of newly grown roots of weirwoods.

Weirwoods can only be cut when they are young. Over time, they harden, thus, if you want some thing made of wierwood, you either tie up the branches so that the tree it self grows in the required shape, or you cut the branches very young, harvesting the wood.

All of the ground in godswood is made of weirwood roots. While it's strong enough to bear the weight of running children, it by no means can support a warhorse and a fully plated knight. When one brought up this as defense, each and every one of kingslanding's citizen asked why they didn't break sooner?

There are many a witness to what occured. Each and every one of them agreed the roots did not break until the axe is rised. If the roots could not support weight of a knight, why didn't they break earlier? They asked.

Whether the gods existed or not, gods hated them or not, what happened this day had some far reaching repurcussions. A great part of the fleabottom citizens have converted to old gods. Many of them had been subjected to atrocities when Tywin Lannister's men sacked Fleabottom.

Looking at Lannister men dying helplessly right in front of them made a great deal of them feel full with out even eating. What did the seven do for them when they prayed so diligently? When the zealots of seven came to cut the trees, the men and women of fleabottom stopped them willingly, for old gods seem to be the only gods who helped them.

Unable to actually cut off the godswood, the high septon crowed time and again in the court for removal of godswood. After all, it's taking away more and more people from seven day after day. The king, who was in presense this time, flatly refused.

Any trees that killed Lannisters are good in his eyes, in the first place, it's his queens stupidity that brought about misfortune. The king gave express orders to release high septon and his men in the godswood with axes if they so want to cut down the goods wood.

If septons have a problem with old gods, they better take it up with old gods thems selves. After all, if they are true in their faith, the seven will help them. High septon stopped his requests after that.

Over the course of next days, rumors spread that old gods cursed the Lannisters, and the weirwoods of kingslanding carry the curse with them. It would have been great if it stopped at that. Again, it did not.

Thoros of myr, the fire priest harvested few weirwood branches for his fires. He did it mostly out of curiosity, he told his friends. Yet, the day after he burned those branches for his fires, he was abound with knowledge of how to care for the weirwoods. He still follwed his religion, in fact, it seems he became more of a red priest after this.

Either way, he found a way to make weirwood saplings out of trees. Jon hadn't even noticed that there's no natural way to propagate weirwoods till then. It's a bit of time consuming process. The only way to fasten it involved blood.

A new sapling can be created by cutting off a branch in half, packing some dirt around the cut in two months. Wet that dirt with your blood, a sapling can be grown in a day. Weirwood saplings sold like hot cakes.

Yet, it is not until lord Blackwood came to kings landing accidentally and meeting Thoros that things really took a turn for weird. Thoros gave some advise to Lord Blackwood on how to get poison out of their own dead heart tree. It involved making round incissions in to branches, leaving it on the tree like a flapping door.

Either way, once he talked to Red priest, Lord Blackwood of raventree hill headed to the latest wonder of kingslanding to see it with his own eyes. On his way there, he heard rumors, wild stories of drowning Lannisters and their forest grave.

The hawkers of little red trees tried to out do one another with wild stories. Yet, one point stayed same all the wild stories, regardless of how wild or mild it is. The trees of devilswood, as it is called by some of seven's zealots, carry a curse for the Lannisters.

It just appealed to the sensibilities of Riverlords. They cared naught for the old gods, but a tree that carries a curse for the Lannisters? Nothing can be sweeter. Thus, the weirwood business, which was slowing down in recent days, Picked up with renewed vigor.

Lords in storm lands, reach and every last River lander that shared a border with westerlands and even dornish bought the weirwoods. The entire border of of westerland is marked with weirwoods now. It is said even some of the westerlanders who hated Lannisters bought these saplings.

It would still have been containable if it stopped there. At least, for Jon Stark. As the number of weirwoods in kingslanding grew, so did vividity of his dreams. At first, they were nothing. He dreamt of a strange palace, never ending sea. He thought not of it, for the first is on the day he read about summer hall, next on the day he was wondering about Robb.

He wouldn't have questioned him self if the dreams are not so vivid. The next, he dreamed of fire. Fire, which burnt a castle. From his description he was told it is Harrenhall. He did not wonder about harren hall at all.

Yet, his discription of harrenhall is on the point, including detail about a dangle, which melted off in the dragon fire. The maester gave him a surprised look. The next he dreamed of summer hall. Again, details that are not known to him otherwise with a alarming correct ness. When he told maester of this dream, he gave Jon a weird look. Jon stopped going to maester after that.

He had visions after that as well. Of fire, flying dragons and ice warriors so fearsome looking in such fine detail, he couldn't help but wonder if old nan's stories are true. He still had the three dragon eggs sansa given him. It almost felt like they are calling him.

The next day, he went out and bought a small weirwood sapling for him self. Over time, it has become fashion in kingslanding to keep weirwoods. They cleaned air faster than any thing, while the city still stank of shit to high heavens, every respectable inn now sported a weirwood in the back where they throw all their shit.

The little saplings that are spanned from original trees did not grow with the same speed. In fact, the more levels of seperation there is, the slower they grew. Thus, over the course of past two months, some one developed a weirwood tree that can grown in a pot.

He kept one in his room, at times, he snapped off branches from this tree and threw in to the fire that contained dragon eggs. Dreams are far more vivid and have an edge of truth to them when he did that. When Jon couldn't take it any more, he went to the only person in kingslanding who spoke of visions. Thoros of Myr.

* * *

Yay.. with this, magic makes entry, not just science.


	11. Chapter 11

Bran Babbled. It's not a new thing. He babbled when he is nervous, babbled when he is happy, some times, he babbled just to fill the silence. That is, if he is not climbing instead.

How ever this time around, Sansa is listening to his babbles. He spoke of lions hiding in wait, the little dragon that did not know they are going to eat it. He spoke of wolves drowning in sea, lightning dancing in the air. He spoke of talking trees and three eyed raven which keeps pecking at him.

Most of all, he spoke of how a lady shrunk in age, became a child. He spoke of a child, who became a broken lady. That is when Sansa had her first premonition. He can see the future. There were fair many hypothesis about the Brandon Stark, the boy lost in annals of history, yet, was able to influence so much of it.

Brandon the Broken's name has been mentioned time and again as a wizard and seer. Sansa never believed in those stories. Yet, sitting here, listening to his dreams, his dreams spoke of future. Every one else may miss it, but as some one who had read the history, she can not miss it.

Thus, she made Bran promise to her that he will tell her off any and all dreams he had. In fact, he will maintain a diary about all the dreams he had. Few days ago, she had Jon send few of those fast growing weirwoods to winterfell. She had it planted in the emptied out unicorn pit, filled with manure.

The tree, true to it's form, grew just as fast as Jon has mentioned. Yet, that's not the problem. The problem is that from the moment that tree arrived, intensity of their dreams increased. Sansa, her self is starting to remember two different versions of history. At the end of it, conclusion is that she is indeed changing the past.

That meant, she had to complete the circle. When the time comes, she would have to die at the same time or at similar time as Sansa of the old. If she remembered it correctly, Sansa of this time had died quite young, perhaps at twenty five. It felt like far away, but Sansa knew Time passed in a flash.

If ten years is all she has, she must work faster than this. Her father is amenable to most of her requests. He had seen the useful-ness of her ideas, set about to implement them as fast as possible. How ever, the problem is her mother.

Her mother's ideas about a woman's work are perfectly in sync with this medieval world's. Worse yet, she actually enjoyed doing it. Now don't take it wrongly, Sansa her self enjoyed the same, but the way her septa and mother are trying to teach her religion and ladies arts these days irked her.

They are not going to be useful any where. You can learn how to use needle in two days, after that, copying and making some thing doesn't take any thought what so ever. You must be truly air headed in order to completely enjoy it. Unfortunately for Sansa the Surgeon, while she liked stitches and all, she wanted to sew humans back together, not these pesky clothes. Thus, she prepared another speech, went to her father.

Her father looked baleful as soon as she entered his solar. If it's any one but her, they wouldn't be able to tell Ned stark is trying his best to put his 'kicked puppy dog' look on. He knew a fight is on his hand as soon as she entered his solar. He heard her mother and her past few days. Going by the look of every thing, her mother had already said her piece. It is not even beginning, Sansa already had to discard the plan of playing sweet daughter.

"Father! How are you this fine morning?" she greeted her father with a big smile and sat down in the chair in front of him with out prompting.

"I am well My lady. What brings you here this time?" Ned stark said in his stoic tone, but Sansa could see he is bracing him self for a tirade.

"Oh, for old god's sake Father! What did mother ask you?" she exclaimed suddenly.

Ned Stark slumped in his chair.

"She wants you to pay more attention to your lessons and lady pursuits, Sansa. I wish for the same, Sweetling." he said in a placating tone.

"Come now Father. You have calculated how long the winter is going to be. You know how hard we will suffer. The Starks of old suffered with their small folk, braced winter together with them. Do you believe we will overcome a thirty six year long winter with songs, sewing and stories?" she asked harshly.

"You will be far from here, dear girl. It may not be immediate, but you will marry by the time summer is over, you will never have to know the true power of a northern winter." Ned Stark answered trying to appease her.

"Do you think it makes me feel better, father? That I escape suffering of winter while all my siblings will go through it? Mother is southron Father. She may stick to southern ways, but you need not, don't you?" she asked.

Ned stood there frozen, in stony silence. He is truly contemplating her words. As she looked at her father, suddenly a realization dawned on her.

"You never thought like a Stark of winterfell, did you father? You were but a second son, brought up in southern ways. You are raised to obey, not command." Sansa said in wonder as if she suddenly understood her father.

"Mind your tongue, Sansa Stark." her father admonished her.

Sansa snapped to attention as if waking from a stupor.

"I apologize for my language father, but you know the sentiment is true. You are a proven commander, never lost a war, thus north follows you as it's lord. You can not deny you have always thought as a stark of winterfell. Do you think any of our ancestors would have approved of building a sept at winterfell? The heart of north? Mother desires a southern match for me, a sothron matches for all her children. How do you think that will go down with Northern lords?" Sansa asked impassively.

Her expression did not waver as she stared down her father. Yet, Sansa apologized to Robb internally, for she may have sealed his fate to day. Margaery would never marry him any way, Sansa consoled her self.

"Very well Sansa. I will hear your thoughts, for the coming winter. If they show merit, I promise to see it done." Eddard answered.

"Let Arya and I have the same lessons as the boys. We will never know what will happen in future, tragedy has befallen our house time and again. Neither of us will take lessons with septa Mordane. If we are to learn sewing, we will from a seamstress, if we are to learn music, we will from an accomplished musician." Sansa answered.

Eddard Stark nodded in answer. He did not say any thing seeing as Sansa is going to continue.

"Allow Arya to have lessons in weaponry and fighting as boys do. I am aware mother frowns upon it. How ever, with Arya's temperament she will get in to trouble sooner than later, I will equip her with the tools to get out of it. Perhaps a different teacher as well, one who knows how to fight with a small frame."

Sansa paused to make sure her father is listening. He is listening raptly.

"I wish for you to start a fighting order, a brother hood of the sorts. It will be in accompaniment to black brothers. How ever, this fighting order will fight for the entire north. Two years of service in north guard will be mandatory for all men of north. Any southron that wishes to join this order is welcome. Soldiers who have a achieved a certain level of accomplishment will be knighted."

Sansa stopped because she knew her father will have objections here.

"The small folk will hate it." her father intoned.

"Yes father. They may hate it, but this way, we can encourage at least some of them to take up farms in the gift. We need to repopulate it to provide for night's watch. Black brothers do not till. It is not easy for a farmer with out training to live in the area. Think on it and decide the terms." Sansa placated Lord Stark.

"I am guessing there is more?"

"I wish to start a ladies order to the same effect, father. This will be called winter-rose order, it will be open for all women wishing to fight or learn a skill. Time and again, we sell our wares too cheap, for we do not have enough skilled workers to work on them. We need to increase the number of skilled workers, in one way or another." Sansa said. She is going to later negotiate same rights as men for these women too, but that's beside the point for now.

The removal of septa may be the only thing she achieved for today, but there are more days to come. One thing at a time.

"Very well. Your classes with septa Mordane are to be once a month, instead of weekly. You will take the same classes as boys. I will think over the matters of the orders you wish to start." Lord Stark said. Sansa took that as dismissal. She nodded her head to her father, left his solar.

It may not be a clear victory to day, but it's a victory none the less. Sansa is beginning to tire of the septa. She is a nice enough woman, but Arya just is not cut out to sew. She is far better at numbers and fighting.

Next time, she will argue to allow wildlings to join North guard. The day is not to day. On that note, she entered the dreaded needlepoint room, started working on her piece for the day. A tiny wyvern, with face of a wolf, and body of a dragon.

* * *

Sorry, it's a progress chapter. I was in mood to write, but there are two other stories making rounds in my head. I will have to get rid of them soon to write properly.


	12. Chapter 12

Seriously? Sansa thought to her self as engineers and alchemists gushed in front of her. She had no idea how they managed it,they invented Teflon. What am I supposed to do with it – make nonstick pans? Sansa internally screamed at them churlishly. She did not say it out loud though. She did not even have an idea how they managed it.

She understood their enthusiasm later on. It seems they believe they can make a non rusting heating pipes with it. North did not have copper mines, but their iron mines are plentiful. With this particular material, they can heat a great many castles the same way winter-fell is heated from water pipes.

She walked over to her daily meeting with Lord Tyrion. They have fine tuned the balloon a great deal over the next few weeks, with Tyrion taking a great deal of interest in designing various sails for the balloon. He seems to be hopelessly in love with flying. Once they figured it's relatively safe, Bran went along with Tyrion in the balloon.

Bran, for the life of him, couldn't lie to his parents. So, he gushed at the dinner table. Lady stark could have killed Tyrion on the spot with dinner knife if her entire family is not present. Tyrion later confessed to Sansa that he slept that night with a mace under his pillow, for he is afraid Lady Stark would cut his throat while sleeping.

Lord Stark how ever, is intrigued. He is already seeing the returns of few of Sansa's plans, especially the crop rotation. After a lot of fighting with Lady Stark, it is agreed that Lord stark will join Tyrion in the next flight. He came down a changed man from the flight. Tyrion, for the first time in his life, had made a friend he liked on the flight.

Sansa, for her part, just liked the carte blanche her father gave her. Life is going on as usual. Then came the caravan from kings landing. Sansa knew with out referring any of her dairies that this is the day that changed course of history. The caravan brought with them a great many curious things and few mind blowing surprises. Tomatoes, are the first of them.

It seems they do grow in westeros. They grow in marcher lord's lands, just before red mountains start. Sansa couldn't have been happier. She immediately purchased few passels of the merchants. They shall have pizza tonight. She had the cooks save all the seeds, so they can be planted in glass gardens later.

"What is this?" Bran asked as he looked at the bubbling cheese on the fluffy dough.

"Pizza." Sansa said excitedly, as she tore of a piece and gave it to Bran.

"You can take a triangle with your hand and eat it." she told him.

Bran looked doubtfully at the piece of triangle. Arya, with her newfound affection for her older sister, took another piece in a show of solidarity, but she did not eat. Sansa laughed at them, as she her self took a piece and bit in to it with a heartfelt enthusiasm.

"yummm.." she said making it sound as a fake moan, prompting Bran and Arya to bite in to their pieces. The rest is history, as they say.

They loved the pizza so much, they now have pizza parties on hunting days, which the cooks took as a personal competition trying to out do one another throwing the dough in to air. The children loved these parties. Over time, Spaghetti and meat balls will become one of the staples at winter-fell. That is a tale for later. For now, on to the next surprise, a black haired blue eyed boy.

Ned Stark is walking with Sansa, Tyrion, Arya and winter-fell guards when they came upon him.

"Robert" Lord Stark gasped, as he saw the boy.

Every one in their party looked over at the boy, who shrunk in to him self at all the attention.

"Name's Gendry" he said hotly, then realized he's talking to highborn.

"mi'lord." the boy added, looking skittish. An old man came around the cart. He took one look at lord Stark before muttering apologies.

"Boy! Go move the swords. I am going to box yer ears till they bleed for this." he snapped at the boy. The boy glared at the old man mulishly, yet moved to do his task.

"Wait." Lord Stark called out.

"He's a good lad, mi'lord. I promise to punish him." the old man started grovelling again. It is apparent from his behavior he thought Lord Stark is going to hurt him.

"I mean him no harm. I only wish to speak with him." Lord Stark told the man. He fell silent at that.

"Gendry, is it? Who's your father?" Lord Stark asked.

"Don't have one, mi'lord." Gendry answered, a bit surprisedly, as if he did not expect that question.

"Who's your mother?" Lord Stark asked when he realized the boy had no more to say on topic of his father.

"Don't have one, mi'lord. Died when I am young." he told Lord Stark.

"Do you remember her?" Lord stark asked curiously.

"Only a bit, mi'lord. She had yellow hair. She worked in a tavern, used to sing to me." Gendry replied, now staring at Lord Stark curiously.

By now, Sansa has surmised the boy is a bastard of Robert Baratheon, perhaps the same Gendry silly Sansa has written about in her journal. The one who married the rumored Arya Stark and taken control of Twins nearing the end of her life. She prayed to every god out there for the news to be true.

"Do you have a trade Gendry?" Ned asked.

"I'm an apprentice smith, mi'lord." Gendry answered, looking at the old man from before. Lord Stark looked at the man in askance.

"I am Master Tobho Mott, mi'lord. Best armorer in kingslanding. Your lad Jon said you will give land and make me a lord if I come north."

Sansa answered before Lord Stark can.

"Aye, Only if you prove your merit, Master Tobho. I hope for your sake your skills are in line with your words." Sansa told him, before her father can refuse. Lord Stark raised his eyebrows at that, but he did not say any thing. Sansa took that as tacit approval.

"If you ever want to learn how to swing a sword, come find me, Gendry. I will take you as my own squire if needed." Lord Stark told Gendry, who looked shocked at the words. Even Tobho mott looked shocked, as if he didn't believe what he is hearing.

Sansa smirked to her self. She can use this later on. Arya is already looking at the boy enviously, as if he has betrayed her personally. Sansa smiled at that. That boy is going to have some hard times ahead of him, if her younger sister's glare is any thing to go by. Arya is being taught by Tyrion about the basics of military traps, she had used every last bit of that knowledge to plan pranks.

Her mother made her scrub floors, clean all the aftermath, but none of those punishments had any effect on her little sister. Tyrion for his part, is surprisingly getting along more and more with Starks as the days passed by. He is just as interested in whores – seems he had taken one of them, by the name Ros as his personal favorite. If rumors are to be believed, Tyrion is setting her up as his mistress. How ever, it is not mistresses and dwarfs that we are talking about. It is the great surprises from kingslanding.

The next surprise is completely on Jon. She had no idea how he achieved it, but a big chunk of alchemists guild came north with this caravan. Sansa welcomed them heartily, while her father is leery of them. She convinced Lord Stark to give them a chance. They are not the only ones to come from kings landing though. A fair few of the weavers, tanners, seamstresses, carpenters and silversmiths came with them.

The last but not least surprise is the amount of wildfire alchemists brought with them. It seems they thought naught of bringing such dangerous substance with almost no protection than few wandering guards. Sansa her self is tempted to cut their throats for the careless ness, but she controlled her self. She had the wild fire stashed away well off from town and castle, had kept a tight watch on the substance.

The next few days are as busy as they can get. She talked to each and every one of the crofters with Tyrion and guards in tow. Some times her mother came along, some times Arya and Bran. She inspected each and every one of their work, settled them where she thought appropriate. The work is tedious, but rewarding.

The weavers are first to go. Her project with creating a loom that spun cotton faster is complete, while there are only four of them around winter-fell, they needed almost every one of the weavers to be working. So, off they went, to spin more and more gold in to her coffers. Seamstresses followed them, obviously. Sansa found few of them to be exceptional.

While most other traditional seamstresses would have scoffed at her request of breeches for women, they did not. In fact, they loved every last one of her modern ideas. They seem to be reveling in simplicity of her ideas. Perhaps that's what alienated them in kings-landing, where opulence and gaudy seem to be the key word. Either way, she will have a great ward robe for her self and Arya by the end of it all.

While this is all well and nice, all this technological advancements are going to spiral out of control. Sansa could see that even with out interacting with people and settling their disputes. It is with that in mind she sat down for a discussion with her father about a solution, though she had an idea of what to do.

"We should establish this entire endeavor as a different organization from ruling father. They should have their own laws to follow, for both trade and work." She told her father.

Her father agreed with her. Thus Stark Industries is found, with better life for all as it's motto. The next day Sansa Stark entered the books of history as the first chief executive officer in the history of westeros, as well as first female chief executive officer.

* * *

Well, it's a bit of progress chapter, it had to be done.


	13. Chapter 13

World is so big and full of wonders, Robb mused for the umpteenth time as he looked out from the prow of his ship to latest land they made port in. unlike other ships, they haven't always gone to port cities.

Lord Redwyne gave those ships to him generously for few pens and ten barrels of whiskey. In Robb's mind, that's quite generous. After all, he had no idea what Sansa is selling those items at. In Lord Redwyne's eyes, the Starks have paid a steep price and gave him a killer trade deal, at the same time, a brilliant opportunity to train his navy.

It's two birds for one shot, though only politically astute saw it. Simply put, they needed one galley to go on an adventure. How ever, Lord Redwyne sent about twenty war galleys as protection for Robb and assorted lords. All of these little lordlings are itching for a fight. They will engage any and all pirate ships they see. Thus, clearing way for trade ships.

Reach has not really redeemed it self after iron born attacks, neither is it dear to the current regime. Deploying twenty war galleys will be frowned upon by king, they will be stifled on their trade through kingsroad in response, though no one will outright order it.

This way, they are showing to navy captains their Lord is still relevant, at the same time, proving to king Reach's loyalty by offering his beloved friend's son a great escort. If the process culls some of the weaklings among lord's sons and their own navy, all the more better.

As expected, their journey is not with out peril. There were pirate attacks as soon as they turned in to Dorne sea. There was a great battle, while old captains proved they did not lie about their skills, Robb is surprised how effortlessly he became their commander half way through.

For all their honor and chivalry, Reach Lordlings are green. Robb, how ever, wasn't. Thus, it stood to reason when he slew three pirates, how ever weak they may be. All the men around him looked to him for orders henceforth. Robb slipped in to the role far too easily.

In all but a ten minutes, he became their de-facto leader. Not that he wasn't before, yet, he expected the ambitious lot of reach lords to take this opportunity to climb higher. Fortunately for him, this lot contained roughly two kinds of men. Ambitious and capable. For all their bluster, the ambitious simply didn't measure up.

The rest of the sailors are fast in barking down and kicking them hard when they made more noise. After a day or two, Robb stopped at yronwoods to restock. That is when he heard of magical weirwood trees. In fact, Lord Yronwood inquired if he had any when he landed the first time. Though the lord is disappointed Robb did not bring any sacred trees with him, he is surprisingly amiable with the stark heir.

Robb made friends with Yronwood heir and prince Quentin, who for some strange reason seemed to hero worship Robb. Prince Quentin is Sansa's age, he seemed to have heard the exaggerated tales of Robb's battle with the pirates. Robb corrected him time and again it's not a battle but a skirmish but Prince Quentin maintained stubbornly it's a battle and remained steadfast in his belief Robb is a great knight.

It is on the third day Robb realized the reason for such a warm welcome in to lord Yronwood's lands. Did you guess it? He had a daughter. One of them two years older, another, two years younger. Fortunately, Lord Yronwood is not as aggressive in pushing his daughters at him as other southern lords. As if to make up for their father's reluctance, both Yronwood daughters proved to be doubly aggressive.

He smoothed all the issues between Reach and Dornish with a little smile there and a sincere compliment here for their stay. By the end of it all, a good deal of Dornish are in love with him. In fact, one brave maid even said to his face now they see how and why dragon prince kidnapped his aunt. Though she immediately apologized for the insult that may have caused both his aunt and their princess, the fact remained they are sweet on him.

They continued on to Sunspear, taking on Quentin and younger of Yronwood brothers as newest additions to their big host. Each day at the sea, each new town had some thing new for them. Sam, some time when they were crossing arbor islands has decided to start writing stories about fauna and flora they encountered. One of the redwyne twins, Hobber is a decent cartographer. He added drawings and maps to Sam's stories where ever he can.

Robb decided to avoid sunspear, travel directly in to summer islands after finding one of the smaller channels when they ventured too far east for no reason. The sailors were ecstatic when they saw the channel, at the same time, perplexed. It seemed it's part of one of the obscure legends from before Targaryens.

The channel is called lost river, for it was a river that connected summer isle's and Dorne. Long before age of heroes, before chidren severed the arm of Dorne, Dorne spread from red mountains to summer isles. When winter became too aggressive, a wolf and a prince bound winter in lands of snow for ever.

The next years, summer has come, and melted snow worth a hundred years. When all the snow melted away, the water formed sea of Dorne, for ever mourning all that's lost in winter. The lost river, which refused to freeze in winter, kept flowing even buried in the sea, a last defiance towards the winter that has taken so much from them.

Samwell dutifully wrote the story in his tales from Tarly, with pretty pictures to accompany the tale. Robb how ever was surprised by the story. It went together with the story of long night that old nan used to tell them. When he told the story of long night, it sparked a furious debate between all the involved parties, some arguing it's probably true history, rest maintaining it's all old wives tales.

They ended the night with no one winning, but it got Robb thinking. What are they going to do if there was indeed a hundred year long winter? North will be worse than desolate if it were to happen, it will be naught but bones and empty buildings by the time winter is through. Robb made a resolution to him self then and there that he will find a way for North to come through even if there was a hundred year winter.

Soon, they entered summer islands and for some time, Robb is continuously amazed by how different every thing is around him. The forests are thick and green in a startling manner. He made all of his crew follow Sansa's directions when it came to venturing out in rain forests. Even so, it took two people disappearing for them to discover shallow waters did not mean safe in summer isles.

The place they entered is an estuary. The lost river, which was but a channel in the sea, cut through two big mountains with almost no indication of upcoming landmass and became shallow river. Thankfully, their war galleys are able to cross in to the river, but they are forced to go in slow pace, in line. The shallow waters are infested with crocodiles which could drag and kill a small elephant.

The current is too fast in deeper waters, which made maneuvering ships thrice harder. During the first few days, some of the captains wanted to go back. They soon discovered it is neigh impossible to sail the other way on the river. So, forward they went. The crocodiles and elephants are only the beginning.

The game, while available aplenty, was just as fraught with danger. It is on their fifth day the rain began. It is as if sky has opened and pouring down all it's water on them. The ships rocked back and forth in the wind like petals atop swirling water. Robb cursed him self for his stupidity as he scrubbed and poured the water out from deck in to the river. They worked tirelessly for a day and night before the rain stopped as suddenly as it started.

All the captains unanimously agreed to moor and replenish their stores whether they have the need of it or not. They were doubly careful of shallow waters now, stepped no where if they haven't already seen an animal drinking water from end. Robb, over the past week realized just how true sansa's warnings about tropical lands are.

He is even more astonished when he found some of the items on Sansa's list. He really did not think coconut or banana existed. Yet, here they are every where you look. He made quick friends with few of the village men who turned about when they made their foray in to the forest. Surprisingly, it's not Robb who made friends with them first. It is Sam Tarly.

Sam managed to find a curious local lad and explain to him they are looking for food. Seems when a fat man waves his hands it always means food for summer islanders. What ever it is, they came willingly and happily to his rescue. When Robb gathered few of the children and taught them sword fighting, they soon had eager men trying to help them. With or with out that intention, they got roped in to hunting for a man eating tiger.

They eventually left the village laden with fruits, meat, a golden heart bow, skin of the tiger, a necklace made from teeth of tiger which the villagers presented to Robb for having killed the beast. He did not realize what a royal pass such necklace is until they reached their next stop.

When one of the villagers spotted Robb at the next village, they shouted some thing to each other pointing at his tiger teeth necklace. Next thing he knew, he is being ushered in to village head's house for a feast. Soon, they were roped in to another hunt, this time, a giant eagle. Robb did not believe a bird of such size can exist until he has seen it with his own eyes.

Sam and he designed a plan and eventually they were able to catch the bird alive. Knowing it's a female of the species, they set about catching a male until the problem solved it self one day when a male bird landed their giant lady. They could not cage the birds, as such, they put them in chains on top of captain's cabin. They assumed the bird will create a ruckus but it did not. As long as they fed it, it was surprisingly tame. Though it did bite hands of every last sailor that tried to pluck it's feathers. Even the ones out of it's eye sight.

They continued on their journey, by now, all sailors accustomed to putting up with moods of the river. They continued on their journey, collecting more and more as each day passed, both seeds and plants. Robb thought he found both coffee and chocolate and a major part of plants Sansa described and a hell lot more curiosities that are packed on to five ships he is going to take north with him.

They split as they sailed around islands of Naath. Few of the older sailors and some of the Little lords wanted to go home. Their ships are laden with spices, silks and fruits from the isles, they are quite happy to go back home. They had no inclination to sail in to rougher storms which are sure to await them as they sail north. Younger captains, Sam, Redwyne twins and heirs of shield islands wanted to continue on to more adventures. Thus, On they went.

* * *

Sansa had a clear understanding of how and where Robb went till he was in Dorne. He sent a raven from each and every castle they stopped at dutifully. It is not until after they first of the Redwyne fleet returned she heard of their adventures or misadventures in summer isles. Tropical forest in this time and age is more dangerous than it was in modern day. More deceases, more dangerous animals, more dangerous plants.

When she revealed at the dining table instead of coming home, Robb went on to island of ib, her mother glared at her like this is all her fault. To be utterly truthful, it is indeed her fault. Yet, Robb is having fun and she is sure her brother is level headed enough not to take too big a risk. Still, accidents at seas are far more common in this time and day.

They prayed every day for Robb's continued good health. The time passed while they waited for their brother's return. Sansa hadn't been idle in this time. Gendry is far more malleable compared to any other blacksmith she ever met. At the same time, he is also a gifted at engineering. Tyrion and Tommas have taken particular interest in teaching him all they know.

While not immediately, her father slowly coaxed Gendry in to training yard. Once Gendry realized lords and ladies in this castle don't bite, he was far more friendly with all of them. Her father doted on him in place of Robb and Jon. While her mother did keep him at a distance, he is not her husband's progeny, thus she is kind to him. Arya and he are inseparable.

He is the first one to try bicycle after they made the very first model. He scratched literally every part of his skin trying to learn it on his own. He taught to Arya and Rickon, from the moment they learned how to ride a bike, there was no peace in winterfell. Rickon insisted on riding his baby bike every where. Arya, who was already fast on her feet is like wind rushing through the halls.

Things moved forward slowly but steadily. Sansa was able to establish Stark industries separately from Stark house, with Tyrion coming up with policies and rules guiding the enterprise. One of the pyromancer apprentice figured out a design to generate gas from animal waste.

From the rough sketches she made, Gendry and maesters eventually were able to make a machine that could do the weaving. It ran on steam power, could make threads in three sizes, could weave clothes in three sizes as well. One of them is tree fiber. One would think with same texture as jute, it will not popular at all. How ever, the tree is available widely, people of the neck figured a way to smooth the fabric with some fungi or other. They also had a mysterious way of dyeing it to quite vibrant color.

Sansa held court in a different place from her father, but it is indeed a court she held. As the word spread, people from far and wide traveled to winter-fell to show their craft to her and receive her patronage. She had commissioned concrete houses be built in the lands around that can house craftsmen.

Once she harped about it enough, and first harvest after she has suggested crop rotation came in, her father allowed her funds to build a ten mile rail road. It is but a prototype, but Sansa took it seriously. Her father response is luke-warm till he saw the first of the tamed unicorn pull a carriage atop the road. The beast could pull a long carriage all by it self for straight twelve hours.

With in next three months, her father gathered required land from lords. While her father was for combined ownership of the railways, Sansa aggressively convinced her father not to place that much power in hands of lords. The railways are complete with in three months. At white harbor, the port expanded in anticipation of new trade. Sansa eventually worked out with Manderlys not to tax the items coming in if they take an express to winter market.

The trade picked up so fast, it's amazing that in medieval days, a city can be built this fast. The steel city Sansa has planned built started selling at the market. It was of such quality, soon, word is that if you can't afford valyrian steel, then you should buy Stark steel. While no one could eat fish this inland once upon a time, now the delicacies that can only be had at white harbor are becoming staple at winter town.

News from kingslanding is half part fantastic, half part ridiculous in this time. Queen Cersei figured in her infinite wisdom that she could get rid of godswood if the trees wash away in a flood. Only, the trees are too big to be washed away that easily. The idea, by it self had merit.

By the time construction that directed flood water in goods wood is complete, the first flood could only separate them and throw them in black water rush. Had the trees been separate, and slightly smaller, they would indeed have washed away. But they are not. As such, they formed an interlocking chain across black water rush.

They continued to grow at the same time, over the next months, they grew so much, black water rush no longer flowed in to sea. Instead, it did a about turn, and flowed around kings landing, divided in to five small channels, the rivers flowing through stormlands. The stormlanders are happy with the change, for it gave them enough water to increase the fields, and eventually, the marcher lords actually had lakes instead of marshes.

That is not the biggest surprise. It seems some where in this process, the wells in red mountains started filling up with water and over flowing, allowing for small patches of rain forests to grow. Even rivers in Dorne had more water than they ever did. What ever it is, every one but Lannister queen is happy with resulting changes.

Add to this, King and Jon Arryn both shew extreme favor to Jon. While Sansa would have liked to say all of this is third-party knowledge, it is surprisingly not. She has seen most of it in dreams. Some times as people telling their secrets to weirwood trees. Bran in particular can control it to the extent he can almost talk to Jon when ever he wants.

She has included Arya after she cried about missing Jon. Bran has in some mysterious way communicated to Jon to come to prayer at hour of rabbit. The first time it happened, Jon is so skeptical of it. Then, one fine day, he talked back. Arya was so happy, she cried tears of Joy. From that day onwards, Sansa talked to Jon every other day.

Jon told her the squiring got busier and weird as time passed. One fine day, Jon Arryn was busy, thus, he put the pin of the hand on Jon's coat, made him judge all the citizen's concerns for the day. Jon performed brilliantly. From the next day onwards, once all the lord's hearings are complete for the day, Jon was made to sit on the throne with hands badge judging common people.

It did not help much to reduce the queen's ire. At the same time, it did not favors to Jon either. When he began, people are envious the king legitimization. Then they were jealous of the favor shown to him. Yet, he was their equal. Not any more. From the moment he sat on that throne and passed his first sentence, the look in people's eyes changed. Now he is some one with power of his own.

Had it stopped at that, Sansa wouldn't have worried. It seems one fine day, the queen and king got in to a public spat regarding a inheritance issue. Jon was consulted on the matter, both Arryn and Stark. While Arryn openly supported King and tried to mediate, Jon suggested following up a rumor of a bastard son who was a hero of attack on pyke. Jon's turned out to be right decision.

All of this could have been just oil boiling in a pot. Even if the king were to take Jon's advise word for word, it wouldn't have been too bad. After all, he is right. Unfortunately, The king was just a tad drunk that day. He did more than take that advice. He made Jon sit on the throne as a proxy for king Robert him self, with crown on his head, and made him pass the sentence, just so he could enjoy the look on queens face. In Jon's words, he is living on borrowed time from then on.

It is during this troubled time Robb returned. Oh, what a return it was. Robb arrived before even the raven could fly to them. They had word for all but a day that he is returning before he returned. The whole castle never smiled wider before. He has shot up almost a feet. It's been two years since he first left. Lady Stark was so excited, she even kissed Gendry on cheek for getting Robb's favourite honey fresh from tree.

Then, Robb got down the platform. Sansa almost did not recognize him. He put on some muscle, has the beginning of a beard and mustache. Arya shouted a gleeful cry and started running. Her mother would have done the same had she not been so strictly trained in propriety. Even so, her walk is extremely fast. Bran and Rickon rushed in wake of Arya.

Arya jumped in to Robb's waiting arms, while Bran and Rickon each clung to a different leg. Her mother was soon upon Robb. Robb put down Arya, only to hug their mother just as fiercely. Her mother was crying with happiness. She released him after a long while.

"By the seven! You have a beard now." their mother said smiling in to Robb's face.

"Aye, I do." Robb answered with a smile.

Their father was next. They clasped their arms and put their foreheads together.

"Is that muscle I am feeling now?" her father asked with a smile.

"Aye. Night's long of working oars does that to you." Robb answered with a smile.

His eyes fell on her then.

"By the old gods. You have become a lady. I bet I will have to beat suitors with both hands." Robb said, hugging her and twirling her in the air. Sansa giggled in answer.

"Are you sure two hands will be enough?" Sansa said with an arched eyebrow. Robb chuckled in answer.

He greeted Theon next. Sansa is sure Theon is the happiest after Robb's return, for he has sorely missed Robb. Because with out Robb, he is but a ward of winter-fell, with him, he is friend to heir of north.

"Lord Lannister." Robb greeted with a genial smile.

"Welcome back, my lord." Tyrion replied with a kind smile.

"Who is this?" he said pointing at Gendry, to whom Arya is clinging currently.

"He is my friend Gendry." Arya introduced him proudly, as if he is some thing she owned.

Robb smiled at that.

"Hello, Gendry." he said with a kind smile and a firm handshake.

Now the introductions are over, Robb turned to his own party.

"Mother, Father and every one. This is Samwell Tarly." Robb said pointing to the chubby boy next to him.

All the Starks smiled at him while Sam blushed at the attention. They made their way to the castle that night for the feast.

The next day, Robb unveiled all the treasures he brought.

Two black and gray spotted eagles, for the little black tuft on their heads. They are so big, if they spread their wings, Sansa is sure they can lift Bran or Rickon in to the air by them selves.

Another set of birds which are such pure white Sansa wondered how they maintained clean plumage. They are egrets, coming from island of ib. They are beautiful birds.

Seeds for about hundred and fifty different flowers, all chronicled and tagged by Sam Tarly. The maesters are salivating at their mouths, Sansa could tell. Various other fruits and seeds, some of which he planned to develop in north.

A golden heart bow for Theon, who smiled from ear to ear at seeing it.

A special trumpet for Rickon, which made a sweet trumpet sound.

A white lion cub and a lioness cub as well. An bearded deer from one of the islands they were on. It's fur is almost as fine as the mountain goats, though Sansa never heard of this breed. An white snake, who's leather is most prized. A set of spiders who produced best silk with their coconish webs. Last but not least, a flight less bird.

Sansa looked uncomprehendingly at the last one till she figured out it is actually a Dodo. As soon as her brother lifted the latch, the bird promptly ran straight to the castle wall and knocked it self out. Sansa couldn't hold her laughter. By the gods, at this rate, she will collect all of the old words extant species.

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I know. Not as adorkable as previous chapters. Il do better later.


	14. Chapter 14

Jon knew his luck would not last long. After all, how many ever murder plans Lady Catelyn may have hatched, she never had it in her to put them in to action. She is just too much of a goody two shoes. Cersei Lannister had no such problems.

It is sheer dumb luck and a great deal supernatural, plus a wee bit of blind adoration that has seen Jon living till date. He knew he is living on borrowed time since the moment his butt touched that ugly iron chair and Cersei Lannister glared at him with unmitigated hate.

For all his looking over shoulder, danger came from a most unexpected person. Did you all guess it right? It's bloody Tommen Baratheon, nee Lannister. The boy probably could not hurt a mosquito drinking on him unless by accident.

It's not exactly an accident though. Jofferey threatened Myrcella he will kill the little white fawn. Now, Myrcella may be a right little princess to the last 's', but she has been Jon's protege of late. Missing Arya dearly, Jon encouraged some of Myrcella's non-princess behavior. Namely, he taught her to fight.

Thus, Myrcella is obviously a girl, not very strong but she is pissed as a hell cat. Thus, she jumped on Jofferey and paid him back in blood for all the taunts he inflicted upon her and her little brother. During this time, Tommen ran remarkably fast to Jon, pulled him along to white fawn's pen as fast as he can.

Knowing what happens when Joffrey goes to the queen and how fast she will respond, Jon correctly predicted they must immediately release the fawn in to god's pass. God's pass is nothing but the nine overly grown weirwood trees that turned away black water rush and joined kings landing to the next mesa by land. Yes, it's naught but silt that's accumulated at trees roots, but they are on level with kings landing, what was once naught but roots is now a days a thin piece of muddy land.

Tommen, despite being such a sweet boy during all other times, refused to listen to Jon this time. So, he had to take both Tommen and fawn to the gods pass. He eventually released the fawn in to the pass, and returned to the keep with quite muddy Tommen in tow. As soon as he stepped foot in to Red keep, he is arrested on treason.

He knew the moment he saw the queen in the throne room and a sniffling Jofferey besides her that he is done for. Just as he expected, he is silenced and sentenced to death by the queen. On her own authority off-course. It is then he remembered both King and Hand are out of kingslanding to day.

Jon Arryn is supposed to be returning, but is delayed for unforeseen reasons, which he is absolutely sure queen has a hand in. The king is out on a hunt, he is not to return for three days. Jon said his prayers to the old gods, begging with all of his being for help. For with out external help, there is no way he is going to survive.

Jon was brought to the public scaffold. Even during night, a great crowd is gathered at the site, a lot of them septons. The general populates booed and spat curses at the queen, more screaming for the release of dark wolf. Yes, Jon has acquired that moniker these days.

He helped a great number of small folk and he judged the people who came to him fairly. He knew of the troubles they don't talk about, he knew to ask right questions. Thus, they knew he cared about them and they cared for him in return. Just as much as they liked him, they hated the queen and Lannisters. All of their adoration will not help him now. He watched from the corner of his eyes as the queen nodded at King's justice. Jon hung his head in resignation.

"Stop." a great booming voice rang out in the yard.

Jon did not need to look up to know the king has arrived. He looked at the corner of his eye to the queen. She looked frightened for all of a second before her expression masked in to cool disdain. She is going to try and bluff her way out of it.

"Your grace, This man here committed treason. He must die." she said in her haughty voice. Jon knew even before king opened his mouth she has committed an error there.

"I will be the judge of it, woman." the king snarled at the queen.

Before he could even comprehend it, Jon was being let up from the scaffold and led in to throne room. Robert Baratheon looked ready to kill a bear with bare hands.

"Tell me what happened." the king said curtly.

The queen opened her mouth.

"Silence." the king snarled at her. She shut up quickly, understanding she is not going to avoid backlash for these actions which ever way.

Jon explained what happened. Even as he talked, he could see the king is going to summon his children. Joeffrey spouted his usual lies, about Jon using wicked magic to turn myrcella against him. By the end of his babbling, the king looked ready to bash his head in just for the annoyance. The queen shushed Joeffrey, when it looked like he is going to descend in to stupidity.

Myrcella and Tommen arrived soon enough. They could hear Tommen's cries even before he entered the throne room. Myrcella was only sniffling when she came in. As soon as their eyes landed on Jon, They both cried in surprise, running to Jon as fast as their little legs could carry. Myrcella clung to his waist, while Tommen clung to his leg. The king's eyes softened at the display, while the queen's hardened.

"Myrcella. Tommen. Tell me what happened tonight. You first, Myrcella." the king said looking at his daughter.

Myrcella launched in to an explanation, explaining how Joeffrey bullied her. The prince shouted 'lies' at top of his voice, but froze in fear when his father's furious eyes turned to him. Tommen corroborated her story, including the part where Jon insisted he return to the keep.

"I regret you have to go through such an ordeal, Little Ned. What do you wish to be done about this?" The king asked. Had that not been his last sentence on literally every last judgment for the past year, he might not have said that, all the same, he asked Jon what is to be done.

"Your grace. What happened tonight is not a simple. I must remind you past year, at the request of my cousin, you legitimized me. I am son of warden of North, Ned Stark. The queen undermined king's authority, your authority to judge unfairly and kill son of a lord paramount. Last time a son of winter-fell died unjustly in south, a dynasty fell your grace. The queen has brought about the ire of north on the kingdom. One could say that constitutes more of a treason than simply releasing a pet from a pen in to jungle." Jon finished.

By the time he finished, there's pin drop silence in the throne room. Over the course of the night, almost all the court has woken up and rushed to the throne room. They watched the unfolding drama with avid interest. One could feel the excitement in the air. This is a point where history is being made, almost all of their spidey senses screamed.

"You insolent wretch. How dare you? I will have your head for this." The Lannister queen screamed.

King Robert, for the first time, looked kingly. He looked to be in deep contemplation, as if weighing his options. Jon knew him to be wise and surprisingly balanced in his assessment. For all king's faults, he has impeccable sense of catching the drift of a situation. Finally, it looked like he has made his decision.

"What will you do, Jon Stark?" Robert asked in almost curious voice. Jon knew even before he opened his mouth he has to answer very carefully.

"It is duty of the advisers to advise and servants to serve their masters your grace. Tonight is failure of not one, but many. I ask that all the men who served queen in this endeavor to be relieved of their duty. Should we do this by the book, The queen stands accused of attempting to murder a lord paramount's son, punishment for which is death. How ever, she is your wife your grace, as such, she is to be afforded due respect. I will say replace all her handmaidens with silent sisters. Perhaps some time spent in piety to the seven in maiden vault will remind the queen not to undermine your authority in future?" Jon ended that as a question.

Robert Baratheon's eyes glinted with some thing at that. Look here, a Stark in south, playing the southern game with such finesse, he would bring shame to the all the snakes in the bloody snake pit. Many called Robert Baratheon an oaf and unintelligent, but there's no statement more false. He simply did not care.

He is the perfect mix of ignorance and astute that can keep a kingdom running. What's more, he got a good man to run country in his steed. Even as uncaring as he is, he is neither blind nor dumb to the game. He only intervened enough to keep balance, no more, no less. Even so, he saw that opportunity Jon Stark has placed in his hands at the moment. He gave a way to remove all or most of Lannister influence from the court.

The protests from various men and Cersei's roars of anger are like music in his ears. He ruminated on Jon's words. It might light a fire under Tywin's arse, but it will definitely pull out all of Cersei's claws. After long thought, he knew what he has to do. Need less to say, rest is history.

As such, history said this day is a win for the north. With a single stroke, Jon Stark made Cersei Lannister irrelevant as a queen, removed half the lannister forces from the court, put a suspicion on Little finger and pycelle, former of which was in more of a pickle than the later.

The king, need less to say, took Jon's words exactly. All of queen's handmaiden's are thrown out to be replaced by silent sisters. Jon sneaked in only the ones he is absolutely sure will hate the queen. All the soldiers and knights that are involved in the ordeal are relieved of the duty, many of them squealed that either the king or some one else bribed them.

By extension, half the Lannister men are gone. King slayer, trant and blount accompanied them that day, all of whom are relieved of their duty. Jon was sure Tywin Lannister will never come to his daughter's help in this case. Little finger died so very slowly, coughing up all the secrets and a great deal of gold. Jon made sure of it personally. He never knew he had it in him, but once Baelish is implicated at his hand, fair few maidens visited his chambers to air their grievances against him. Jon could not do nothing after listening to it.

Had Jon not had the help of supernatural, it wouldn't have happened. For some strange reason, every other whisper that's been told to the weirwoods is audible to him in one manner or another. Thus, he knew where to look, he knew what to look for and how to look for it. He never told any one of the ability, though Varys insinuated to his ability to dream or know things quite a number of times.

One way or another, he has achieved a status equal to Jon Arryn and king in the kings landing. These days, he simply has to stand for a servant to stop by and do all his fetching for him and then place the jug in his hands so he can pour wine for the king. The court silenced and watched around him the same way they did for the king or hand. In fact, he is sure if he whistled, half a dozen men will come running to do his bidding. Jon discovered that kind of power is corrupting, so very corrupting. How ever, during all these changes, Jon hasn't forgotten he is living on borrowed time. The day of payment came sooner than he expected. So much sooner than he expected.

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Yes, I know a bit lacking in super natural department. You must remember, super natural is coming up in next chapters.


	15. Chapter 15

Guess I must write this story, other wise my life is going to go on hold. The story keeps ringing in my head… any ways, on it goes.

Plus I told myself I will write the story I receive most reviews to urging for update first. So, though I have written a chapter or two of other stories, this will be the first that goes out.

* * *

You can always trust a dishonest man to be dishonest. It's one of those random things Sansa used to say with a hint of mystery in her eyes and a small smile on her lips. There are fair few of these little quotes she uses, but for the situation at hand, this is the quote that applies best.

The day after Jon screwed over the queen, for it could be nothing other than screwing over, capitol is aflutter with all kinds of activity. None more so than city watch. After all, when the war between Lions and wolves is over, who is going to pick up the flack? That's right people, city watch.

That means more power, more power almost always meant more money in kings-landing. They were not quite cheering for the dark wolf, but they are not dissing his name either. That day, they shared smiles over Lannister soldiers misery, for it is clear to everyone no one but the lions are going to pay.

None could be happier than Littlefinger, who felt like he killed two birds with a stone. After all, Jon Stark is going to be blamed for dealing this insult to Lannisters. Cersei Lannister can hold grudges like nobody's business. In this particular instance, it is more like Tywin Lannister, for all that old lion is away in Casterly rock, his daughters imprisonment is one thing he will not overlook.

That means the little bastard who looked too much like Ned Stark will die, quite possibly in a suspicious manner. That means Starks will suspect Lannisters of his death. He is sure that most probably will not incite war, but given Lannister temperament, they will most certainly do something that can be used to incite war. His plans can finally be put into action.

That is exactly how the history would have been, if not for Jon Stark. If nothing else, Jon knew that Lord Arryn will only fail terribly at this investigation. He is too invested in every guilty party in this situation. He would have punished some, very very mildly, for even Jon Arryn could see what an force Jon Stark could become.

The boy is all of thirteen, already has reputation among half the city. Robert may ignore how nobles and servants alike deferred to him, but Jon Arryn did not. The boy, for all his humility reminded him eerily of Blackraven. Yes, many may recall him as the bastard that only helped his brother, but truth couldn't be far from it. Black raven ruled, for all the time he sat in hands seat and more.

Thus, Jon Arryn intended only to do summary investigation into Lannister involvement, let most of them go free. That is, until Jon Stark intervened. Yes, that's right, intervened. A thirteen year old boy, a baseborn to boot, intervened an investigation by hand of king and Lord of vale. Worse yet, he did it with such ease, it left small council gaping mentally.

You see, Robert Baratheon chose this particular day to attend small council meeting. Jon Arryn cursed the king internally, but there's naught he can do. Robert has always been like that. Unbelievable force of nature for those tasks he wanted to do, unmovable mountain for the ones he did not want to do. Clearly, fucking Lannisters appealed to his sensibilities. It happened like this.

The page announced Jon Stark is here with the king. Everyone looked at each other's surprised faces. King has never been on time to small council meetings, even the ones he has called. The king entered with all his bluster.

"Let's not beat around the bush. How are you going to deal with the Lannister investigation?" King boomed.

Jon Arryn was about to open his mouth. Jon Stark beat him to it.

"Your grace, if I may?" he asked politely.

"Aye, Little Ned, speak." King answered him, turning to him curiously.

The others have not caught on yet, but Jon Arryn knew he is doomed as soon as Robert finished speaking. He knew that gleam all too well. Ned Stark had looked exactly the same before he stirred up hornet's nest. They did not call Ned Stark quiet wolf for no reason. He is a wolf through and through.

"My father always used to say a man who makes the judgement should swing the sword. For better or worse, It is I who instigated this investigation. I would like to be the one in charge." Jon finished his solemn speech.

"You are a boy." the king said, still looking at him thoughtfully.

"I am older than when you won your first tourney, your grace." Jon offered equally solemnly.

"Aye, that you are Little Ned." The king offered equally thoughtfully, turned around to face small council.

"He is a boy, Robert." Jon Arryn said.

"I have no objections, your grace." Little finger said.

"A wolf on a hunt. I wonder how that will look like?" Lord Varys wondered.

"He is a squire my lord, a bastard to boot." Pycelle objected.

"He is a Stark." Robert Baratheon roared.

None of the small council had the courage to speak after that. One must give credit to Jon Stark, for he did not even blink his eyes at the display. While rest of the world may forget there was a reason Robert Baratheon is the king, Jon never did. King Robert is far more intelligent than everyone gave him credit for. His eyes scanned his small council, judging them.

They are all frightened that he may indeed give the investigation over to his squire. They are not frightened for the boy, but of the boy. They are afraid that the king may indeed give this over to a thirteen year old boy, worse yet, that thirteen year old boy will absolutely succeed where all of them would have gracefully failed. Robert Baratheon made his decision. About time he got rid of few lions. They are getting on his nerves. If it's Jon Stark, he is sure he will be able to do it honorably too.

"Aye, Little Ned. You do it. Jon, See to it that Jon Stark gets fifty knights. Let him choose." He ordered the council, left it just the way he entered, with a bang, this time, leaving Jon Stark behind.

Jon Arryn sighed. There's naught to be done for it now.

"Sit down, Jon Stark. We have a lot to discuss." he said, offering the boy chair vacated by the king, rather, not occupied by the king.

The rest, did not quite become history, but sure made a splash in kings-landing.

Jon called for an almost army of twenty scribes, and fifty knights. Scribes being an good will gesture from lord Arryn. Jon isn't stupid enough to think it is only a good will effort. After all, he has lived in kingslanding for almost two years now. By the king's side too. Even so, he accepted them. The first day, They interviewed palace servants.

Jon picked a sweet looking boy who looked like he could have been from north, riverlands or vale as his aide. Between both of them, They did good cop and bad cop ( sansa's words, not his) quite well. By the time night is through, they have almost five hundred Lannister guard names. Jon just gathered all of them in the throne room. He emptied any and all courtiers, no one other than his fifty knights are present.

He put on his best looking tunic, a gift from Lady Catelyn, a vicious looking direwolf on almost black looking grey, with yellow eyes. It is her best work yet. When Jon first opened it and looked at the tunic, he almost teared up in gratitude. It felt exactly like what it is, a blessing or approval from Lady Stark of his legitimization. He only had to wait a year and half for it to happen. I digress. Point is, this particular tunic is a force of it's own, especially in firelight.

The Lannister guards are waiting for him, in a closed hall, with bowmen notched and waiting for his command. Jon strode in like a prince, with a retinue of nine splendidly dressed knights. He waited for the silence to fall. Perhaps because of the impressive sight he made, the guards fell silent far sooner than he expected they would. Jon guessed they are quite scared for their livelihoods. He let their anxiety build up. Just as they are about to break, he spoke.

"You are all here to day, because you served queen in her ill-advised venture to murder son of king's closest friend." He said in the coldest voice he could muster.

The Lannister guards looked sufficiently cowed. It probably just dawned on them how grave an offence they can be held accountable for.

"However, taking your service up till to day into account, I decided to offer you a second chance to serve crown once again. Do the crown a service worthy enough to prove your loyalty, you may yet have a chance to continue your service. However, take heed, for only hundred, who has provided biggest favor yet will be given this mercy."

Jon stopped here. Furious whispers broke out with in the guard. Jon let them talk for some time. Just as whispers are quieting down a little, the knight standing in front of hm clanked his sword loudly. Pindrop silence reigned in the hall.

"Many of you know the city watch to be corrupt. The crown has tried time and again to curtail this, albeit unsuccessfully. Your task is to capture as many corrupt city watch officials as possible. For your sake good men, I pray you are successful." Jon finished. As soon as doors are opened, the Lions rushed off to catch all the blasted gold cloaked little shits.

Jon had already tried this lordly speech on another set of Lannister soldiers, who are to capture Littlefinger and bring him in as soon as the pandemonium begins, preventing city watch from having any kind of leadership.

By the time, morning has come, Little finger is a prisoner of Jon Stark. Jon informed the king of the news first, begged him to have patience until Jon is through with his work. He had to bare his neck, show his scar to guilt trip king into keeping Peter baelish prisoner.

With in first day, he had his proof. After that, it's only a matter of finding a bit of gold. On the third day, he had Peter baelish thrown in black cells. By the fifth day, he had recovered almost one sixth of the crown's debt to iron bank. The Lannister guard has worked obsessively, catching every last gold cloak that ever accepted a bribe. After all, you can always trust a dishonest man to be dishonest.

In the following days, the interrogations continued. Jon found proof after proof miraculously. When he wanted desperately to find some evidence, all he has to do is focus on his need to find this piece of information, then a little voice whispered in the back of his mind, just like that, he knows. The master of whispers started keeping eye on him, hell, he bet half the kings-landing kept an eye on him now.

Where once upon a time, only the red keep was a little subservient, now the entire city is aware of him in one manner or another. Darkwolf, the name got whispered in corners, on the lips of young girls, in a jealous awed tone of squires. Among all this buzz, Jon plowed on his task to decimate Peter Baelish. A crook never has any friends save the ones he owes money to.

It is from those people's hands Jon obtained the most damning and most infuriating proof. A raven from Lyanna Stark to Brandon Stark. It said "Come and meet me at cross roads inn, Bran. Make haste. - Lyanna." nothing else. However, it is clear how and what happened. How ever, Jon kept the letter to himself. He did not want to give the bastard satisfaction on having notoriety. Little finger is a petty man, he will die as petty men are wont to.

Thus, Jon searched high and low for anything that could damn Peter Baelish. He finally found proof not in the vale, in his little house, nor in the expensive brothels he ran, but in Riverrun, at the behest of Catelyn Stark. It seemed upon Peter baelish leaving River run, Lady Stark has collected all his stuff and threw it into a casket, so as to wipe away all traces of the boy her intended disliked.

In those items was a dairy, in which Peter rambled on and on about his glee of Brandon being incarcerated and burning of Starks. Jon sequestered it away, presented it along with all the other proof to the king. By this time, Peter baelish was rotting in the prison for six months, city watch is rife with Lannister guards who lost their jobs with Redkeep, but got hired into city watch by Jon's grace. Baelish was convicted in absence, for evidence is overwhelming. Jon asked king for but one favor, that he choose the execution method for Baelish. King accepted.

The day before execution, Jon visited Lord baelish in his accommodations.

The man is as beat up as one could get in black cells. He begged for mercy until he saw it is Jon.

"Come to gloat, have you bastard?" he asked.

"Aye, that and I have news." Jon told him.

Petyr just grunted in response. After all, the guards loved to torment him, they couldn't stop singing praises of Jon Stark for the past few months.

"Tomorrow you will be executed." Jon informed him.

"No. NO.. I demand a trial by combat. I demand it." Little finger screamed, until a guard came by, hit him in the stomach.

"I want you to know you are not dying for stealing from the crown. You are not dying because you robbed innocent men. You are dying tomorrow, because you are stupid enough to tarnish good name of my lady mother. You are stupid enough to laugh at the place where my grandfather burned." Jon told him.

Petyr could only gasp at the realization.

"Think of your last words, my lord." Jon told him.

Little finger is absolutely sure he could think of something damning enough by the morning.

The next day dawned bright and sunny. Petyr has his words all thought out. He will tell entire world how he had Catelyn long before Ned Stark did. How Lyanna ran with Silver prince, how she is not kidnapped.

The guards came in the morning. They tried a gag around his mouth, tied his hands tightly. Petyr walked like a defeated man, until he saw they are leading him up a pyre. It is then it dawned on him. They are going to burn him. He struggled with all his might to get out, but the guards held fast. They tied him to the post with iron shackles.

Jon picked up the torch and walked to the pyre. His words rang clearly in the entire gathering.

"Lord Petyr Baelish. For the falsities you spoke about my family, I take your ability to speak." Jon said solemnly.

It is then it dawned on Petyr what happened. The boy told him deliberately to think of last words to speak, knowing he would never be able to speak any.

"For the pain multitudes felt for your actions, I judge you to feel the same." Jon said sombrely.

It is then Petyr saw it, as the light hit Jon Stark's face at an angle. His eyes gleamed a dark purple, rather than dark grey like he has known them to be. Just like that, realization dawned on him. The boy is never Ned Stark's bastard. He is a Blackfyre, Ned Stark protected him knowing this all the time. Ned Stark is every bit as honorable as his reputation said. Then, he had an epiphany.

Honorable Starks are Honorable, because no one who witnessed their dishonorable deeds lived to tell the tale. After that, he just burned to death. Slowly. Screaming. Stinking.

* * *

Damn, Someone graciously offered to beta this story for me, I accepted. However, this is not beeta'ed. I had a super shitty day, as you have seen, when I had shitty day, some one gets tortured. Or burned to death. Hope you guys like it.

Before you ask me why am I making him a super Jon - not too much. I will write a follow up for that too.


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